KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — Putrajaya confirmed today that it was not introducing a contentious policy to scrap old cars, but said vehicle owners are now encouraged to send their vehicles for checks to ensure safety.

In a handout to reporters on the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014 unveiled today, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) clarified that the rolling out of voluntary annual vehicle checks was meant to enhance the safety of road users.

“The voluntary checks of vehicles introduced under NAP 2014 is not intended to scrap vehicles based on age,” MITI said.

It added that the checking services would not be limited to a single agency or company, stressing that qualified companies would be able to earn extra income.

MITI also said the fees for the voluntary annual checks would be competitively based on the market demand.

Today, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed dismissed rumours that incentives such as a road tax rebate of RM5,000 will be provided for the inspections, stressing that they were “voluntary” in nature.

Last November, uproar over a proposed end-of-life vehicle (ELV) policy forced Putrajaya to walk away from a suggested 12-year limit on cars, with consumers citing the high price tag for new cars.

Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO Madani Sahari recently explained that the proposed voluntary roadworthiness test for Malaysian cars would cost around RM70 for each inspection.

The ELV policy is meant to create business opportunities for Malaysians to open inspection centres, with a total of 300 inspection centres nationwide required.

Currently, there are just over 50 Puspakom centres, which was Malaysia’s first computerised vehicle inspection centre, but not all of them are currently outfitted to inspect passenger vehicles.

Concerns also remain over the allegations of corruption that have plagued Puspakom since the late 1990s, where several branches allegedly demanded money from owners to expedite their approval process.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) also placed Puspakom inspectors under watch last year, following claims of bribery in the inspection and approval process.

* Editor's note: Puspakom has responded to this story here.