ET
Historic Sabah East Malaysia / Tawau legacy format
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Key Facts
- Issue Date
- 1963-1967
- Issuance Range
- ET/ETA + 1 digit to 4 digit serial number
- Rarity
- Legacy format (early Malaysia-era Sabah / Tawau code)
- Transfer Rules
- Legacy format; retained-number use depends on current JPJ eligibility.
Key Points
- ET is Historic Sabah East Malaysia / Tawau legacy format.
- The format/allocation is ET/ETA + 1 digit to 4 digit serial number.
- The documented period or launch date is 1963-1967.
- ET is a legacy-format plate where provenance and the JPJ record matter more than modern auction history.
- Use/transfer depends on documentation: Legacy format; retained-number use depends on current JPJ eligibility.
Series Overview
ET is the early Malaysia-era Sabah registration code associated with Tawau.
The code comes from the period when Sabah placed E before the older district letter. T had identified Tawau in the North Borneo district-code arrangement, and ET preserved that district identity after Malaysia was formed in 1963.
ET is especially easy to misread because the letters look modern and compact. Its real meaning is older: Tawau geography, East Coast Sabah history and the transition from district letters into the early Malaysia E-prefix system.
Europlate notes group ET with Sabah districts that could need suffix-letter development after the first 1-to-9999 block. That gives ET a broader format story than a single two-letter code: plain ET first, then ET plus suffix-letter progression where the old sequence required it.
ET belongs with ES for Sandakan, ED for Lahad Datu and the other early Sabah E-prefix families. Its value is historical and regional, with the short format giving it the kind of visual appeal that can be mistaken for a modern special series.
Sources
Sources checked for the ET special-series glossary entry.
- 馬來西亞車輛號牌WikipediaOpen citation: 馬來西亞車輛號牌
- Vehicle Registration Plates Of MalaysiaWikipediaOpen citation: Vehicle Registration Plates Of Malaysia
- SarawakEuroplate BlogOpen citation: Sarawak
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ET mean and what is the significance behind this special number plate series?
ET is the early Malaysia-era Sabah registration code associated with Tawau.
What is the meaning or theme behind the ET special number plate name?
meaning is older: Tawau geography, The theme is Historic Sabah East Malaysia / Tawau legacy format.
Was ET tied to a specific organisation, club or public theme?
The ET series should be read from its documented launch context and the source record attached to the series.
How should readers interpret ET plates on the road?
appeal that can be mistaken for a modern special series.
Are there particular ET numbers that carry extra symbolism or storytelling value (for example "1", important years or meaningful words)?
specially easy to misread because the letters look modern and compact. value is historical and regional,
Do ET plates follow exactly the same registration and transfer rules as normal plates, or are there additional conditions owners should know about?
ET plates have the following transfer restrictions: Legacy format; retained-number use depends on current JPJ eligibility.. reserved that district identity after Malaysia was formed in 1963.
What affects public interest in ET plates over time?
value is historical and regional, The legacy format (early malaysia-era sabah / tawau code) nature of this series is part of the public-interest context.
For normal state series (V, B, J, etc.), see the Series Index. For broader JPJ plate-index context, visit the Plate Index.
ET For Sale
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