PUTRAJAYA: The Road Transport Department achieved a significant milestone last year after its revenue surpassed the RM5 billion mark, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The department, said Loke, registered RM5.07 billion last year, an increase of 3.53 per cent compared to the RM4.9 billion revenue reported in 2022.
"I am pleased and want to congratulate the department on such an achievement, which is the first time in history.
"I want to also commend all personnel at the department for their efforts, dedication and contributions towards achieving such a milestone," he said during the ministry's 'Sua Kasih' event here today.
He pointed out that the department's revenue collection from tenders for vehicle registration numbers also increased to RM569.6 million last year compared to RM501.5 million the previous year.
This, he said, included the revenue generated from the bidding of the FF and M_M vehicle registration number series, launched in May and August last year respectively.
"For the GOLD series, introduced in conjunction with the 50th Golden Jubilee celebration of the Federal Territory on Feb 1, 2024, the department generated RM17.24 million.
"This amount includes the successful bid for GOLD 1 by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim the King of Malaysia at a bid price of RM1.5 million," he said.
Loke mentioned that 23,160 bidders participated in the GOLD registration number series bidding process, with 6,810 of them securing successful bids.
"I would like to reiterate that 50 per cent of the revenue generated from the special registration number bids will be allocated to initiatives under the ministry for the year 2024.
"This includes assistance for driving licenses, helmet subsidies, FlySiswa subsidies, and Social Security Organisation contributions for taxi drivers," he said.
Meanwhile, Bernama quoted Loke as saying that Port Klang recorded the highest container handling volume in its history at 14.06 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUS) in 2023 compared to 13.22 million TEUs the previous year.
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor handled 10.48 million TEUs last year, compared to 10.51 million TEUs in 2022.
"The Port of Klang and PTP continue to remain in the top 20 busiest ports in the world.
"The excellent performance reflects Malaysia's economy as an important component in the world's supply chain," he said at the same event.
Loke noted that the ratio of transhipment cargo and local (indigenous) cargo in Port Klang had changed from 70:30 in 2014 to 55:45 last year.
Cargo transhipment refers to the process of transferring goods from one ship to another without going through the customs gate, while local cargo refers to goods produced or obtained in the country.
Loke also mentioned that PTP has discussed with logistics companies Maersk, as well as Petronas, regarding the construction of a green methanol supply in collaboration with the Australian government's 'Partnerships for Infrastructure' programme, aiming to build a sustainable fuel supply ecosystem (green bunkering) in the Southeast Asian region.
Commenting on the air travel sector, he said there was a 10.7 per cent increase in international and domestic passengers in January 2024, compared to January last year.
Loke noted that tourist arrivals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 also recorded an increase of 32 per cent in January 2024, reflecting the success of the 30-day visa exemption for Chinese and Indian tourists which took effect Dec 1, 2023.
