Malaysian Indian denied vehicle rebates for being born in Bombay

Kuala Lumpur, June 24 : A Malaysian Indian has been denied rebates granted to the owners of private vehicles because his national identity card "MyKad" bore the digits '71' signifying that he was born overseas.

In Malaysia the 'RM625' rebates are given to the owners of private vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 2000cc, and pick-up trucks and jeeps up to 2500cc following the partial removal of fuel subsidies on June 4. Each person is allowed to claim rebates for five vehicles.

Ong Kok Leong, the Malaysian Indian, tried to explain his case that he was born in Bombay because his parents had taken refuge there during the World War-II, but the dealing clerk refused to take it as a valid reason.

The 66-year-old was refused not once, but twice, the RM625 rebate for the two vehicles registered under his name when he tried to claim the payout at a post office here last week, reported the nstonline.com. "I tried explaining to the clerk that I was born in Bombay since my parents fled Malaysia to seek refuge in India during World War 2, but to no avail. I went again the following day and was told by another clerk that they would have to get the green light from the Road Transport Department first," the nstonlline.com quoted him as saying.

"This is totally ridiculous. I have lived in the country since 1945 and I am a Malaysian citizen as proven by my MyKad. It is not as if I am a foreigner or permanent resident here," he said and added there might be others encountering the same problem.

Meanwhile, state RTD director Mad Yasir Mastakim said he would send his officers to the post office and clear the air over the matter. "It must have been some form of misunderstanding. They should have just paid him the rebates when he produced his MyKad," he added.

ANI