Perhaps the most awaited download of the week was the MyJPJ app, right after Minister Loke Siew Fook's announcement that Road Tax stickers were no longer required for privately owned vehicles with effect from 11th February 2023. Many have complained in the past about the quality of the sticker which over the years has made the annual tug-of-war to get that perfect peel-and-stick.
The latest road tax sticker was introduced around 2004 if I recall correctly. My road tax had expired that year, and experiencing the transition at that time was indeed refreshing. The problem then faced by many car owners was the quality of ink used by JPJ's top road tax issuing agent, Pos Malaysia. Many had queried about the disappearing ink in just months, and the issue was traced back to the inkjet printers used daily by the post offices then. Nevertheless, the 'new' quality stickers, at first was a thrill of sort. Getting that 'perfect' peel and stick was indeed an achievement easily obtained.
And so over the years, the issue of that same sticker was raised over and over again. So much so, that those who had to endure the heartbreak of a windscreen would swear they would seek out the supplier of the stickers just so as to get that sticky task undone and redone by who else but the creators of that sticker.
Today, since the announcement of the cessation of the need to display that sticky disc, we learn that the government or rather JPJ or Jabatan Pengakutan Jalan (Road Transport Department) to the uninitiated would save as much as RM96 million per year.
Needless to say, the 'runners' that have placed making a few bucks from those lazy enough to seek out their services, are already griping about 'choosing the wrong government' for their 'rice bowls' and are now affected. Really? I imagine if anything, MyEG would gripe more as they will be losing out on the thousands of orders online for renewals and delivery of that tax disc. As I write now, I just renewed my Road Tax, and still had the delivery of my disc to the house. Did MyEG lose out on my order? No. Will they lose out on my next renewal? Not likely as it has become all that much easier to just log in and renew my road tax, delivered or not.
Singapore had done away with their paper-printed disc, long before us. In fact, the yearly renewal discs used to be sent pre-printed to the registered owners' address, and in order for the owner to use it he has to complete the process by paying (online or physically over the counter) and bringing along that printout to have it further endorsed (I beg to differ if they have enhanced the entire process altogether)
You see, unlike Malaysians who tend to think of any way possible to 'beat the system' Singaporeans on the other hand are thought to 'not break the system' and so they have a fully functional system that doesn't require one to start queuing from as early as 6 am for over the counter dealings.
Indonesia doesn't practice stickers either. Their 'road tax' is done annually, but renewed through the police which comes in the form of a printed piece of paper that is normally carried by the owner of the vehicle physically. It is not uncommon for the owner to pass you a copy of this permit if he allows you to use his or her car.
I guess it is timely as we move away from all these printing and tree-killing, and about time for Malaysians to embrace the digital economy fully. If Malaysians could embrace all things online since the MCO, I don't see why we cannot accept this new old step of ditching physical discs and printouts, for something less sticky to the fingers and definitely car windscreens.
Tony Yew is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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