KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — A bidder “from the south” of Malaysia has put in a bid exceeding RM1.3 million for the “Patriot 1” vehicle registration number, believed to be the highest ever such bid in the country, according to Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPNM).
The NGO, which opened bidding for “Patriot” registration numbers since June 1, said a bidder who asked not to be named put in a bid of RM1,308,000 for “Patriot 1”, which was put on auction with an opening bid of RM1 million.
“Bidding for the number is still open because the closing date to bid for the number is July 22, 2015. Anyone who is interested can still bid for this number which is considered the most meaningful in the history of Malaysia,” YPNM said in a statement.
The fledgling group earlier claimed that the Road Transport Department (RTD) has given it the authority to auction the “Patriot” registration numbers as part of its efforts to “foster patriotism and unity among the multiracial Malaysian society” and raise funds for its group.
To be eligible to bid for the registrations, participants must register as a YPNM volunteer before paying a deposit of 20 per cent of each plate’s bidding price.
Besides “Patriot 1”, other numbers available in the Perdana category included single-digit ones, 88, 888 and 888, all starting between RM150,000 and RM580,000 each.
The registration numbers are divided into five categories, with the most expensive being Perdana (Grand), followed by Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Premium.
Platinum numbers are between RM20,000 and RM50,000, Gold starts at RM20,000, Silver RM5,000, Bronze RM2,000 and Premium RM1,000.
YPNM said on its website that it was formed in April 12, 2013, led by government and private retirees.
