KUALA LUMPUR: A Rolls Royce, believed owned by well-known entrepreneur Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri, was among 20 vehicles impounded in an operation conducted by the Road Transport Department (RTD) yesterday.
The car bearing the plate number PMD1 was seized as it was using a road tax which was registered in Sarawak.
A foreigner, who was behind the wheel and believed to have rented the car from Aliff, was also arrested as he had no valid travel documents with him.
RTD deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said the owner of the car was supposed to renew the road tax in Peninsular Malaysia, which would cost about RM20,000.
“Checks showed that the roadtax was registered in Sarawak as it is much cheaper to do so there, about RM5,000.
"However, cars which are to be used in the peninsular must also be registered in the peninsular itself.
“We will seize the car until the owner settles the remaining balance, which would be about RM15,000,” he told reporters during the operation, codenamed Ops Patuh, at Jalan Bangsar, here.
He said about 280 vehicles were inspected, with summonses issued for about 300 vehicles, mostly motorcycles.
Uzir said many of the motorcyclists who committed various offences were foreigners.
“About 180 motorcyclists had no licence and 149 motorcycles had no roadtax.”
He said that in 2017, 42,478 cars were inspected under Ops Patuh nationwide and RTD took action on 14,844 vehicles.
The operation yesterday was also joined by the Immigration Department, who hauled in 60 foreigners of various nationalities who failed to produce valid documents.
They were believed to have been on the way to celebrate new year in the city centre.