Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has always been at the forefront of encouraging Malaysians in innovation, especially in the automotive industry. Today he revealed that he has just received delivery of his brand new Perodua Ativa with a number plate 2020. In case you’re from a different generation, Tun M introduced Wawasan 2020 (Vision 2020) in 1991, during his first term as Prime Minister of Malaysia. The vision was an encouragement for our country to achieve a self-sufficient indu
Apr 14, 2021
Between November 5th to 9th, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) opened bidding for PPP number plate registration and accumulated almost RM 7.3 million with 11,718 bidders, that's a new record for JPJ. The highest bid is, of course, for the number plate PPP1 which was rumoured to have been bought by badminton star Lee Chong Wei’s brother, Lee Chong Hoon, for RM 260,000. That’s the price of a Mazda MX-5! Or you can purchase 4 Perodua Myvis and still have change. PPP9 is the second most expensive
Nov 11, 2020
So, you've found the used car of your dreams, sent it to your trusted mechanic and even got the green light from Puspakom to transfer to name over to you. But wait, have you checked if the car has any unpaid traffic summons attached to it? Surprisingly, this is a step that most used car buyers would miss on. Excited car buyers will find themselves facing a roadblock when they realise that JPJ will not transfer the car to them as the previous owner has outstanding traffic summons that has yet to
Nov 4, 2020
The 1951 Nash Rambler is on display at Publika (Ends Sept 16), in KL. If you are in KL, then you should seize the last chance to the Hari Malaysia and Publika Art Show to see rare national artefacts! The Hari Malaysia exhibition is a collaboration between Publika and the National Archives of Malaysia. Among all, the 1951 Nash Rambler is particularly eye-catching. The car exhibited was used by Tunku Abdul Rahman to announce the country’s independence in Melaka on Feb 20, 1956. The story behind th
Sep 16, 2019
The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is asking for the help of all road users to report any customised car number plates that do not follow the JPJ regulated specifications. In just the first 5 months of 2020, JPJ has issued a total of 12,694 notices to car owners for using a number plate that is not up to the JPJ regulated specifications. JPJ also reports that they have compounded 7,455 cars between January and May for the same reason. For years, customised, or also known as “fancy”, number plat
Jun 19, 2020
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development said that the Ministry of Transport will table a new bill to replace vehicle stickers for persons with disabilities with a special number plate. One week earlier, the Johor state police announced a crackdown on vehicles with ‘fancy’ vehicle number plates – plates that don’t meet JPJ’s standards. The bigger question is, why after more than 20 years, Malaysia still can’t enforce standardized vehicle number plates? Proposals
Dec 27, 2020
Now that Vietnam has introduced a new camera surveillance system on one of their highways, drivers are doing their best to avoid getting caught by masking their number plates or even using fake ones to cover up their original license plates. The new surveillance system was installed on the Noi Bai – Lao Cai Expressway, the system is similar to that of the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera system in China. Unlike in Malaysia, Vietnam has a standardised number plate system so it is
Jan 6, 2021
The ubiquitous number plate. These little black and white boxes on every road-going vehicle may seem like a boring topic to explore but look beyond the regulative reasons behind them and they actually have a pretty fascinating history. What purpose does it serve? Simple, really. It's a result of transportation being more accessible, and the government needs a way to regulate and control the vehicles pootling around. They're useful because in the event of an accident or a crime, authorities could
Sep 13, 2020
After showing off his brand new Perodua Ativa, a car that he confirmed in this video is his own purchase, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed is now checking out some restored Proton Sagas. Also read: Tun M receives delivery of his Perodua Ativa; Check out that number plate! Two cars were on display, a standard 1989 Proton Saga and a 1986 Proton Saga Orion. The green car (WBH 5581) is the first generation Orion engine model, while the red car (WBT 2289) is a later model with a newer Ma
Apr 16, 2021
Back in September, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) issued a proposal to implement a licensing system for bicycles as a means to compile a database of the number of bicycles and cyclists. The idea was quickly shot down by various ministers, but now The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has declared their support for the proposal in a TV interview. Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement chief assistant director Bakri Zainal Abidin told RTM that the move was timely an
Dec 28, 2020
The National Council of Persons with Disabilities (MKBOKU) has approved the plan to change disabled person sticker to a special vehicle number plate instead as is suggested by the Ministry of Transport. According to a press release, applications for the disabled person’s number plate with the Social Welfare Department is now open. Those that are eligible to register for a disabled plate is as listed below: Physical disability A sub-category of learning disability – ADHD Autistic Multiple categor
Dec 23, 2020
Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Negeri Selangor telah mengadakan Ops Trade Plate yang bertujuan untuk mengesan penyalahgunaan trade plate pada kenderaan tertentu. Operasi ini telah diketuai oleh Tn Mohamad Hafiz bin Usman, Ketua Bahagian Penguatkuasa dan anggota Unit Operasi, Unit Penguatkuasaan Overloading serta Unit Penguatkuasaan Bermotosikal JPJ Negeri Selangor. Trade plate adalah lesen perdagangan kenderaan motor yang diberikan kepada syarikat untuk kegunaan perniagaan. Syarikat yang dibenarkan
Mar 29, 2021
It is Bukit Aman’s turn to conduct a spot check on all personnel's private vehicles at the Police Headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) in Kuala Lumpur. Also read: Police summons police officers for using fancy number plates The Special Operation (Vehicle Check) was carried out by the Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) at the main gate of the Bukit Aman Police HQ. Over 15 police officers and 35 JSPT members were involved with the special operation. Oth
Mar 17, 2021
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) invites all Volkswagen owners for a free 5 Star Service Check available at all service centres nationwide. As part of the check, a service advisor will conduct the check with the car owner to review and highlight potential wear-and-tear and identify severe issues in vehicles. Inspected items include the body and paint condition of the car, lighting, brakes, windscreens, windows, wheels and tyres. Starting from now till 31-December 2020, all Volkswagen ow
Jul 1, 2020
There's no doubt that the Toyota Alphard (and its Vellfire twin) is the best luxury MPV on the market. Few other cars can match the Alphard/Vellfire's spaciousness and ease of entrace/exit. Compared to a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Alphard's sliding doors allow you to step in/out of the car as if it's a room, rather than a car. The only question left is whether to buy a cheap reconditioned (recond) unit or pay up for an officially-imported unit by UMW Toyota Motor? Let’s take a closer look at the
May 2, 2020
You’ve heard it time and again at every “balik kampung” festive season. Remember to check your car engine components’ condition, change your engine oil, make sure your tyres are in tip top condition before you start your journey… No doubt, these steps are important to follow, not only are you travelling further than your daily route causing more stress to the engine, there is also a possibility that you will get trapped in a 9-hour long traffic jam on the North-South Highway (true story this). A
Jan 17, 2020
Proton is on a roll as they follow their sales success in May 2020 with yet another healthy number in June 2020. Other than that, the Proton Saga also broke its own monthly sale record with the highest numbers sold since August 2014. Proton recorded 9,623 units sold in June 2020. This number is the second-highest the brand recorded in 2020 and a growth of 69.5 percent over May 2020. Bear in mind that June is also the first full month that Proton has been operating since the Movement Control Orde
Jul 2, 2020
Do you check your surroundings or your side mirrors before you open your car door? If you do, then pat yourself on the back. If you don’t, then you should start this healthy habit. Accidents where pedestrians, especially bicyclists, ran into opening car doors are becoming a common occurrence that the term ‘car dooring’ has been coined to describe these accidents. Warning: Might be too painful for some to watch Pedestrians and bicyclists alike will not be able to know your intention to get out of
Mar 6, 2021
In Malaysia, driving against traffic, or in more commonly known as “pandu lawan arus” as a term, has been growing rampant lately. Of course, this is not an isolated problem, as long as there are cars in a country there will be similar occurrence. But, in China, cases like this are dealt with in a very unusual way, observe this page that names and shames (complete with number plates clearly on show) the cars caught driving against traffic on the powerful CCTVs of China. According to the website h
Dec 18, 2020
The 2021 Toyota Camry has just received a facelift in Japan, encompassing a minor visual update as well as enhanced safety. The exterior nip-and-tuck makes the already good-looking car slightly sharper, but for those who want a little more zing, then this array of Gazoo Racing (GR) accessories package should to the trick. Bold, brash, beautiful With a name like 'Sensual Sport Style', you might not expect anything too sporty but hey, don't let the name fool you. This is still a very aggressively-
Feb 2, 2021
Hello and welcome to WapCar’s 2020 Car of the Year. We’ve cherry picked some of the most popular cars that were either launched or updated in 2020. Without any delay, let’s get on with the list of nominees and why we’ve it picked it. 2020 Toyota Hilux Rogue This is the new 2020 Toyota Hilux Rogue, sitting at the top of the Toyota Hilux range, priced at RM 146,880. It comes with a meatier 2.8-litre turbodiesel and more importantly, it now has the Toyota Safety Suite of ADAS, making the default ch
Dec 18, 2020
So, you want to buy a used car. Maybe it’s a project car, a unique car model you’ve always wanted, or a car model that’s not sold brand new in Malaysia. If your reason for buying a used car is a tight budget, you might want to consider other options like public transportation or a motorcycle. If you’re still here after reading that, we assume you’re serious about this, regardless of your reasons. Well, there’s a long list of things to look out for when buying used cars. In this article, we will
Aug 15, 2020
In conjunction with Mazda's centennial year celebration and the Mazda 3 bagging the 2020 World Car Design of the Year award, Bermaz Auto Philippines, the official distributor of Mazda vehicles in the Philippines, has just released the 2020 Mazda 3 edition100. Separating the regular Mazda 3 from the edition100 is the addition of the Mazdaspeed bodykit, which is finished in Soul Red for the Snowflake White Pearl and Jet Black Mazda 3 models, while Soul Red Crystal Mazda 3 units receive Gloss Black
Jul 9, 2020
Results are in for the annual Japan Car of the Year awards and the winner is the Toyota RAV4 with 436 votes, beating out the Mazda 3 (328 votes) and BMW 3 Series (290 votes). The new Toyota RAV4 is still not made available in Malaysia, although we are expecting the SUV to finally make its return into the C-segment SUV market in 2020. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Toyota RAV4 will be introduced in this region next year, with Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia on the list. Sourc
Dec 11, 2019
When it comes to shopping for a car, terms like reconditioned cars and certified pre-owned (CPO) cars get tossed around a fair bit. On paper, both CPO and reconditioned (recond) cars are very similar – both are cheaper than a new car, allowing the buyer to save some money. But that’s where the similarities end, as they are world’s apart once you look closer. Recond cars – good on paper, but buyers beware While it may seem tempting to save RM 40k to RM 50k on a recond car versus a brand-new car,
Apr 23, 2020
After nearly a decade of absence, the S60 sedan and its wagon twin the V60 will be making a return to Malaysia. This was confirmed earlier this week in an investors’ briefing by MBM Resources (MBMR), the parent company of Volvo Car dealer Federal Auto. No further details were provided but MBMR confirmed that both the S60 and V60 are in the pipeline for a launch later this year. Set to go up against the segment’s traditional stalwarts like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series, the S60 offer
Aug 28, 2019
You’ve probably heard of the term ‘chassis number’ before, but what does it mean? Officially, ‘chassis number’ should be called Vehicle Identification Number, VIN for short. Think of VIN as the identification number for your car, as each car has a unique number, much like our Identification Card (IC). Similar to our IC, the vehicle's VIN contains a bunch of useful information, like fitted options to the vehicle, body colour, and origin of vehicle. A VIN that starts with PL to PR would indicate t
Oct 19, 2019
Last year, Honda Malaysia presented the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong with a Honda Civic Type R FK8 as his escort car. The car is now officially registered and social media users can’t stop swooning over it when photos of it on duty surfaced on the internet. The Civic Type R escort car was a gift to His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah in celebration of his birthday las
May 19, 2020
Honda Malaysia just took the covers off the all-new 2020 Honda City, priced from RM 74,191. With the launch of a new model, prices of used City models will also dropped further, making a used Honda City a viable option for some. A little history on the GM2 Honda City The GM2 Honda City, also called the third-generation City, was introduced in Malaysia in late-2008. It replaced the controversial-looking GD8-generation model, which was the poster child for bad CVTs. Instead of a CVT-type automatic
Oct 15, 2020
Want that dream car of yours but can’t afford to buy new? The used car market is one solution. If you are shopping for a used car, here are the list of things that you should look out for. 1. Check paintwork, body panels, engine bay, and underneath of the car First impression matters. The outlook of the car is what makes you attracted to it in the first place, so naturally, this will be the first thing you should look at. Always inspect the car in daylight, because the sun's reflection can tell
May 15, 2020
Honda HR-V
Perodua Alza
Honda City
Honda City Hatchback
Toyota Yaris