Penang JPJ tightens operating rules following graft scandal

Penang JPJ director Mohamat Johari Mat Nor (second from right) showing the bids received for the PPC series of vehicle number plates.

BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Road Transport Department (JPJ) is going all out to ensure a bribe-free work environment after 26 of its enforcement officers were charged in court with running a lorry protection racket recently.

Penang JPJ director Mohamat Johari Mat Nor said it would strictly follow an internationally-recognised standard set by Sirim called the “Anti-Bribery Management System”, which has been put in place since 2016.

He said through this system, standard operating procedures (SOP) have been tweaked to ensure a bribe-free environment.

Johari admitted that JPJ’s image as a whole had taken a beating after 68 personnel were picked up for questioning and 26 charged last month. He said enforcement, however, remains unaffected in the anti-corruption swoop.

He said the 26 charged in court will remain on active duty until his office receives a letter from the courts or JPJ headquarters ordering them to be suspended until the case ends.

“Nearly 60% of the 68 arrested were field officers. The others were in the back office or doing administrative duties.

“Every morning, we remind all enforcement officers to stay away from corruption and preserve their integrity,” he said at a press conference here today.

The state JPJ officers are alleged to have received bribes from freight companies to evade enforcement through the use of special stickers.

The 26 officers charged last month face a total of 254 counts of bribery totalling RM240,360. The bribes were allegedly received between 2015 and 2018.

‘E-bidding’ for Penang vehicle numbers

Earlier, Johari also launched a new web-based bidding system for all Penang state vehicle number plates. He said all bidding for Penang plates will be online from now on, beginning with the plates starting with “PPC”.

He said the PPC series had received a total of RM969,738, with the highest bid of RM111,111 for PPC 1.

PPC 3 and PPC 6 were “sold” at RM45,000; PPC 8 at 42,000; and PPC33 at RM25,000.

Johari said with the “e-bidding” system, each person could bid for up to three numbers. They can leave them unregistered for up to a year before they have to give it up to someone else.

Companies can register for five separate bids.

He said Penang is the fourth JPJ office, after Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Kedah, to implement this e-bidding system.

“The old system used to post bids is no longer in use from now,” he said.

The reserve price for single-digit number bids starts from RM20,000, interesting or matching digits RM3,000, double/triple-digit (RM800), running or regular numbers at RM300.

Those bidding must pay at least 5% of the reserve price set for each category together with a RM10 government service fee. Bids are placed through credit or debit cards.

To place bids on Penang plates visit https://jpjebid.jpj.gov.my/ebid/ or download JPJeBid from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. - FMT