MADANI Plates: Let Him Try His Luck, Says Loke

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- "If he wants to sue, let him try his luck."

This was the response from Transport Minister Anthony Loke regarding a RM1.3 million compensation demand by a businessman over alleged copyright infringement involving the MADANI number plate series.

 He said the authority to register any vehicle number plate falls under the Road Transport Act 1987, and it is clear in the Act that this power rests with the Transport Minister.

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Loke further explained that any approval concerning special registration numbers (NPI) is made through the Transport Minister.

“There is no question of any party holding intellectual property rights over any special registration number.

“Moreover, we checked with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO), and the copyright refers to the paperwork, not the plate numbers. Number plates cannot be copyrighted,” he told reporters after attending the Cahaya Kasih MADANI programme and the monthly assembly of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) here today.

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Loke said that the ministry would respond appropriately through the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

On Nov 5, Ilham Madani Sdn Bhd programme director Hasan Azhari Hashim issued a letter of demand to the government for RM1.3 million in compensation. 

The bidding for the MADANI NPI series, which was open from Oct 19 to 23, successfully generated total revenue of RM2.62 million.

-- BERNAMA