MOTORCYCLE owners in Sarawak’s rural areas will find the Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) new online registration policy more a hassle than a convenience when renewing their road tax.

Owners of motorcycles of 151cc and above, which are not on the new RTD registry, are required to produce their machines at the nearest office for verification, starting November 1.

But what should be a one-time trip to RTD has turned out to be a drawn-out affair requiring two or three visits because of “teething problems”, Sarawak Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin told The Malaysian Insight.

The long distance and difficulty of overland travel are also a great deterrent for those living in the hinterland, where the motorcycle is often used to travel between the villages.

“Can you imagine a motorcycle owner in Belaga having to take his bike to Kapit or in Lubok Antu to Simanggang?”

Belaga is the last major town on Sg Rajang, where motorcyclists have to take their vehicles across the river by boat. Upon landing, it is a 200km bike ride to the nearest RTD office in either Kapit or Bintulu.

Lubok Antu, meanwhile, is a town on the Sarawak-Kalimantan border 90km from Simanggang and 260km from Kuching.

“Who wants to go through such inconvenience? The cost of getting the bike to the JPJ office would probably be more expensive than the road tax,” Lee said.

He said the people who drew up the policy simply had no idea of the lay of the land.

RTD said in September that leakages in collection of revenue from road tax renewal for January to August this year amounted to RM50 million. As a measure to stem such leaks, the new policy was introduced requiring motorcycles of 151cc and above to be presented at its offices.

Lee said he was alerted to the problem by the Sarawak Northern Region Motorcycle and Bicycle Traders Association which sought his help.

He said he will discuss the matter today with his federal counterpart Anthony Loke in Putrajaya.

The policy is also a hurdle for motorcycle dealers who want to help new motorcycle owners register and obtain road tax.

“We can’t ride new bikes to the JPJ office for the registration process, we’ll be accused (by the buyers) of selling them used bikes later,” dealer Aaron Tay told The Malaysian Insight.

“We, therefore, have to load these bikes onto trucks for the trip to the JPJ office. It’s a hassle loading and unloading these bikes,” said the owner of Tay Motors (M) Sdn Bhd in Kota Sentosa.

The dealership registers 10 motorcycles a day and is 17km from the RTD office in Kuching.

It is well known that not all motorcycles in the state’s rural areas are registered and have road tax.

Road tax is lower for motorcycles of all engine sizes in Sabah and Sarawak compared with the peninsula

For 151-200cc motorcycles, road tax is RM9 in Sarawak and Sabah and RM30 in the peninsula.

For motorcycles in the 201-250cc range, the road tax is RM12 in Sarawak and Sabah and RM50 in the peninsula; 251-500cc, RM30 and RM180, respectively; and 501-800cc, RM40 and RM250, respectively.

For superbikes with engines above 800cc, the road tax is RM42 in Sarawak and Sabah, and RM350 in the peninsula. – November 20, 2019.