Loke said the ministry was reviewing the applications and hoped to introduce new operators by the end of the year.

“The exact number of companies that will be granted licences will be announced later,” he told a press conference here today.

“The new operators will need time to build their facilities but this will provide motorists with more options for vehicle inspections,” he added.

In March 2023, Loke announced that the Cabinet had decided to open up vehicle inspection services to qualified parties once Puspakom’s concession ended on Aug 31, 2024.

Puspakom is Malaysia’s first and only comprehensive national vehicle inspection company, appointed in 1994 by the government to undertake all mandatory inspections for both commercial and private vehicles.

The minister today said three Puspakom officers were being probed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly approving unsafe vehicles during inspections.

“If more individuals are implicated, they will also be called in,” he added.

Yesterday, it was reported that the road transport department (JPJ) had recorded statements from staff members at the Wangsa Maju Puspakom branch in Kuala Lumpur who were believed to have approved unsafe vehicles.

JPJ senior enforcement director Kifli Ma Hassan said the department was preparing investigation papers related to the case before referring it to MACC to determine any misconduct or abuse of power.

Probe into renting of car accessories to bypass inspections

Loke also highlighted ongoing investigations into syndicates that rent car accessories such as tinted glass or spare parts to vehicle owners to help them temporarily pass inspections.

“Some of these accessories are rented for just half a day. These syndicates undermine road safety,” he said.

Loke also said that current laws made enforcement challenging, as renting accessories is not illegal.

“We are considering amendments to address this (loophole),” he said.