SEREMBAN: An additional 10,000 secondary school students from poor families will be able to apply for the free motorcycle licence under the government's MyLesen B2 Programme this year, says Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
He said the Transport Ministry has agreed to add to the 15,000 spots initially approved for this year due to the overwhelming response.
"Under Budget 2025, the government had agreed to bear the cost to provide free Class B2 motorcycle licences for 15,000 Form Four and Five students from B40 families.
"However, in the first six months of this year, we received 15,191 applications and 14,581 students, or 97% from the allocated quota, have already participated in the programme," he told reporters after handing over the B2 license to students here on Thursday (July 10).
He said the additional 10,000 spots will cost the ministry another RM3.5mil. It costs RM350 for each participant to sit for tests and to obtain a valid license.
The cost, he said, will be borne by the ministry through its various initiatives.
Loke, who is also Seremban MP, said of the 10,000 additional spots, 1,000 will be reserved for Negri Sembilan as the ministry had received an overwhelming response from applicants here.
Separately, Loke also advised school authorities to check if students who rode motorcycles had a valid license.
"We need to get schools to help provide us with the information, as we want to help students from B40 families to obtain a license.
"Any student who rides into the school compound must be asked to provide such details," he said.
Loke reiterated that this was not to penalise the students but to help the Road Transport Department identify and license them.
Asked if the ministry would revoke the licences of those who benefited from the programme but participated in illegal racing or committed other traffic violations, Loke said he supported the move.
"We are giving them free licences because our intention is to help them.
"If they are involved in other undesirable activities on the road, then we will revoke the licence," he said, adding that this was important as they would not only be endangering their lives but the safety of other road users as well.
