High Court awards RM40,000 to man in copyright dispute over ‘MADANI’ special number plate proposal
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has ruled in favour of a Malaysian man in a copyright dispute involving the proposed “MADANI” special vehicle registration number series, ordering the Director-General of the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to pay RM40,000 in statutory damages and RM25,000 in legal costs.
The decision, delivered by High Court Judge Datuk Edwin Paramjothy Michael Muniandy, found that the plaintiff’s copyrighted work had been infringed, marking a significant ruling on the protection of intellectual property involving government-related initiatives.
The lawsuit was filed by Hasan Azhari Hashim in January 2025 after JPJ introduced the “MADANI” special vehicle registration series for public bidding in October 2024.
Hasan claimed that the government had utilised concepts contained in his earlier proposal paper without obtaining his permission, despite his proposal having been formally registered for copyright protection with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO).
According to court filings, the copyrighted work was titled “Kertas Kerja Mewujudkan Nombor Plat Khas Kenderaan Bersiri Madani 1 Sehingga Madani 9999 Untuk Didaftarkan Di Malaysia”, outlining a proposal to introduce the special registration series.
Hasan had submitted several proposals to the government in 2023 suggesting the issuance of “MADANI” registration numbers before the idea was eventually rejected by the authorities.
The government informed him in October 2023 and again in February 2024 that existing policy no longer permitted private entities or non-governmental organisations to introduce or market special vehicle registration series, a practice that had previously allowed initiatives such as “MALAYSIA 1” and “PATRIOT”.
Under the policy implemented since May 2018, only JPJ has the authority to issue and sell special registration numbers.
Despite the earlier rejection, JPJ subsequently launched the “MADANI” registration series, comprising numbers 1 to 9999, through a nationwide public bidding exercise in October 2024.
Hasan argued that while the word “MADANI” itself was not exclusive, the overall concept, presentation and creative expression contained in his proposal had been reproduced without authorisation.
His court action alleged that JPJ’s promotional materials bore substantial similarities to his original work, including the presentation of the “MADANI” registration series, graphic design elements, colour schemes and typography used in promotional visuals.
The plaintiff maintained that these similarities amounted to copyright infringement under Malaysian law.
In its defence, the JPJ Director-General denied infringing Hasan’s copyright, arguing that the government’s implementation differed substantially from the plaintiff’s proposal.
The defence further contended that “MADANI” had already become an official national slogan introduced by the government in January 2023 and therefore was not a newly created term capable of exclusive ownership by the plaintiff.
JPJ also argued that issuing special vehicle registration numbers has long been an established administrative practice and could not be regarded as a new concept originating solely from Hasan’s proposal.
The department maintained that the lawsuit lacked legal merit, asserting that it effectively challenged government policy rather than raising a genuine copyright issue, and sought to have the action dismissed.
Among the remedies sought, Hasan requested that the court award him 50 per cent of the revenue generated from the sale of the “MADANI” registration series, claiming compensation for the alleged use of his copyrighted work.
However, the High Court declined to grant that claim and instead awarded statutory damages of RM40,000 together with RM25,000 in legal costs.
The ruling represents a partial victory for the plaintiff while stopping short of granting a share of proceeds from the vehicle registration sales.
The JPJ Director-General retains the right to appeal the decision, with one month available to file an appeal should the department choose to challenge the High Court’s ruling.
Following the judgment, Hasan’s lawyer, Rajesh Nagarajan, said the case was never intended to prevent the government from implementing initiatives that benefit the public.
Instead, he said the objective was to affirm that original creative works deserve legal recognition and protection regardless of who ultimately uses them.
He described the decision as an important affirmation that intellectual property rights apply equally to all parties, including public institutions, stressing that government agencies are equally bound to comply with Malaysia’s copyright laws when using creative works developed by others.
