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SHAH ALAM - The H1 vehicle registration number fetched a staggering RM10.7 million in the bidding for the H series registration numbers introduced by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Bidding for the H1 to H9999 series was opened through the JPJeBid system from Sept 16 to 20, with the bidding results announced on Sept 21.
The matter was shared by social media users, most of whom expressed surprise at the value of the bid.
The H series was introduced in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebrations and is the final special vehicle registration series using a single letter offered by JPJ.
The letter H was chosen as a symbol of the word 'harmony', in line with the message of unity and harmony in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
Previously, JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli was reported to have said that the letter H was chosen as it was synonymous with the word ‘harmoni’, symbolising harmony among society and the nation in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
He said that following the H series, JPJ would no longer offer special vehicle registration numbers using a single letter.
The record for Malaysia's most expensive plate belongs to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, who has repeatedly outbid himself for prestige numbers.
He first set a national record with a RM1.5 million bid for "GOLD 1" in February 2024, then broke his own record four months later with a RM1.75 million bid for "FFF 1", after previously winning "FF1" for RM1.2 million.
The FF series alone generated RM35 million in revenue for RTD.
More recently, RTD's "P_P" series - launched in conjunction with the department's 80th anniversary in Penang raised more than RM21.6 million from over 19,000 bidders, with the top bid of RM1.1 million going to "P1P".
RTD's special series typically follow a tiered pricing structure. Bidding usually starts from RM20,000 for golden numbers, RM5,000 for premium numbers, RM2,500 for attractive numbers, RM500 for popular numbers and RM300 for regular numbers - the same structure applied to the H-series.
For everyday bidders, plate auctions tend to be driven by personal meaning rather than prestige - birth years, repeating digits, or numbers considered auspicious.
Numbers with repeating digits, mirror patterns, or culturally significant combinations typically attract the most competition and the highest bids relative to their reserve price.
