KUCHING: Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen described as ridiculous the new ruling requiring all commercial vehicles to use the new reflective sticker that was approved by Puspakom.
Chong, who is DAP Sarawak chairman disclosed to reporters yesterday he will write formally to JPJ (the Land Transport Department) and even to MACC (Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission) calling them to investigate the new ruling which requires all commercial vehicles to use new reflective sticker approved by Puspakom.
He said the new reflective sticker introduced by Puspakom early this year came into effect from 1st January 2017. The directive was issued late last year, directing that all vehicle owners that they must use or must have a new reflective sticker.
“A set of this cost RM100 and there is only one company supplying this reflective sticker throughout Sarawak or throughout Kuching as far as I know at the moment,” he said yesterday, adding that previously such a reflective sticker for long vehicle could be obtained from other accessory shops at a price of RM20 or RM30.
“But with the new directive, all vehicles exceeding 1.5 tons lorry or three tons lorry need to install or have a new sticker on their lorries.
“It is ridiculous. A lot of vehicles and cars owners, they already have all these stickers already. Now because of these new ruling they have to buy this sticker to stick on the old sticker,” he said.
“Now you cannot get it from anywhere, You can only get it from the one who sells it and is the agent for this one. And it is not even a Sendirian Berhad,” Chong said, adding that the only outlet selling the new reflective sticker is at Puspakom.
Chong said the there are currently more than 18 million vehicles on the roads throughout the country with 1.2 million of these being commercial vehicles.
“So in other words, there are about 1.2 million vehicles that require a new sticker like that. One set of the sticker is RM100 and another set which is RM90. Previously, they can get it for only RM20 to RM30. For longer vehicles, they need three of it,” he said.
“So you are talking about RM200 million to RM300 million business. Roughly a RM200 million business in a year for all these at the expense of logistic companies, and those small businesses who have lorries and the customers and the people in general.
“When new policies are announced or new directive issued most people will suffer,” Chong pointed out.
“I will write formally to the JPJ, and even to MACC,” he said, adding that he has the receipt with him, and the amount paid.
“ I will write specifically and call for investigation. The subject may be too powerful that even MACC will not be able to investigate but nevertheless, we will start the process,” Chong said disclosing that for the last one or two months, he had received a lot of complaints about the reflective sticker.
All businesses in Kuching are also affected, he said.
