SIP rollout in three local councils stirs confusion
Following its rollout on Aug 1 in Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), residents and traders say they are still concerned over potential increase in future parking fee besides a lack of clear communication about the system's changes
During a visit to the Jalan SJ3 commercial area in Selayang Jaya, StarMetro found that a number of traders and visitors were unsure about the new arrangement.
Food truck trader Oscar Leong, 29, who works daily in the area, said enforcement appeared unchanged.
'I am here every day from 11am to 8pm. The officers still come by, but nothing seems to have changed,' he said, adding that it was the first he had heard of the new system.
Taxi driver Anthony Kumaran, 52, was surprised to learn of the shift.
'I didn't know there was a change, but I heard fees might go up.
'If things stay the same for us road users, I have no complaints,' he said.
Another trader, who wished to be known only as Lau, observed a dip in enforcement in this first week of August.
'I have read in the news about the new system, but I haven't seen any officers since Aug 1.
'I am worried about changes in fees and payment procedures.
'I don't use a smartphone, so I walk to KK Mart to pay for parking.
'What if I get fined while walking there? This has happened to me several times,' he said.
MPS Zone 14 councillor Sulaiman Abu Samah said the privatisation process was still being aligned.
'Staffing hasn't been finalised, and revenue sharing is not yet concluded,' he explained.
'For now, residents are happy because there are no fines, but many don't know about this issue unless they follow the news,' he said.
Sulaiman is of the view that MPS may lose out on revenue under the new parking system.
The privatisation of street parking in Selangor, which surfaced last month, faced objections from residents and elected representatives due to transparency concerns and potential revenue loss for local councils.
Four local councils were selected to implement the project first.
However, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced last month that only three of the councils would proceed with SIP system from Aug 1, as Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) postponed implementation pending further discussions.
The system is operated by Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI), under a 10-year concession with local councils and a private partner.
Revenue is split 50% to the concessionaire, 40% to the local council and 10% to MBI.
Enforcement will be carried out by the concessionaire in cooperation with the council.
Subang Jaya Zone 1 councillor Balachandran Naicker said he had yet to receive official confirmation on the system's implementation from MBSJ.
'I am waiting for formal documentation before informing residents,' he said.
Balachandran, overseeing SS12 to SS19 and Taman Wangsa Baiduri, confirmed parking fees would remain unchanged for now.
MBSJ Zone 16 councillor Lee Jen Uyin and Zone 4 councillor Kamarul Hisham Yeop Hashim said they had not received reports from the public regarding increased enforcement.
On July 31, Subang Jaya mayor Datuk Amirul Azizan Abd Rahim expressed confidence in SIP, saying he was waiting for the finalisation of contract details before full implementation.
Amirul had also said that MBSJ would expect at least RM92mil in revenue over 10 years under the model.
In Shah Alam, MBSA Zone 20 councillor Fatin Ab Rahim had said that enforcement remained under the city council's purview but was monitored by MBI.
'So far, there have been no complaints from residents,' she said, adding that parking management would improve with the new system.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Fresh intelligence prompts Bukit Aman to revisit MBI-linked firms in Penang
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 10 — The ghost of the Mobility Beyond Imagination (MBI) ponzi scheme appears far from over, with fresh police investigations underway, The Star reported. Sources told the English daily that Bukit Aman's Anti-Money Laundering division is preparing to revisit several Penang-based companies previously linked to MBI, following new intelligence shared by Chinese authorities and recent arrests made during Ops Northern Star in April and May. 'The mastermind, Tedy Teow, had created a pyramid business structure using proxies to manage investments worth billions, including lands, properties and luxury items,' the source was quoted as saying. The source added that Teow positioned close family members and friends at the top of the MBI hierarchy, while his lieutenants ensured major property projects in Malaysia and Thailand proceeded smoothly. MBI founder Teow, now in custody in China, first launched the scheme in 2009. 'His modus operandi involved using the Hawala system to transfer money internationally without physical cash movements,' the source said. Once funds were routed through multiple MBI accounts, lawyers reportedly handled screening and documentation before approving partial payments to placate investors. To attract wealthy investors, MBI also offered free holidays to destinations like Italy and Dubai, with the requirement that participants top up their investments by up to RM100,000, The Star noted. Teow carefully cultivated MBI's image as a legitimate conglomerate with property interests in high-end residential and retail developments across Malaysia and Danok, Thailand. One major project now under scrutiny is the reclaimed land development near Pulau Jerejak off Penang island. According to the report, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow confirmed that Penang Development Corporation (PDC) handed over documents relating to the Penang World City (PWC) project to Bukit Aman's special task force on July 18. Chow said the documents detailed payments made to PDC by Mutiara Metropolis Sdn Bhd (formerly Tropicana Ivory Sdn Bhd), with investigations focusing on whether funds paid between 2011 and 2019 were linked to the MBI scam. The Star also reported that Teow's elder brother Wooi Pin and brother-in-law Tan Kim Hee were believed to be partners in the PWC project launched in 2011. Police detained Tan on April 2 for questioning but released him five days later, although his company's bank accounts totalling RM10 million were frozen. Authorities also seized two luxury vehicles – a Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Coupe and a BMW 330Li. So far, 17 suspects, including prominent Penang real estate figures, have been detained in connection with the investigation. Teow, also known as Zhang Yufa, now faces possible life imprisonment if convicted of fraud under China's Anti-Money Laundering Law.
The Star
19 hours ago
- The Star
New info on MBI emerges
Cops to quiz several Penang-based companies again GEORGE TOWN: Just when many thought the ghost of Mobility Beyond Imagination (MBI) had been laid to rest, news about the ponzi scheme has resurfaced. Sources said the Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering division is ready to pay another round of visits to several Penang-based companies previously associated with MBI. It is understood that police have obtained fresh intelligence from their Chinese counterparts and several suspects arrested via Ops Northern Star in April and May. 'The mastermind, Tedy Teow, had formed a business pyramid comprising proxies to handle his investments worth billions, including lands, properties and luxury items,' the source claimed. 'With him (Teow) as the captain of the ship, family members and close friends were positioned at the top of the MBI chart. 'The main task of his lieutenants was to ensure all the major property projects in Malaysia and Thailand run smoothly without any hitches.' MBI founder Teow, who is now in custody in China, launched his MBI empire back in 2009. 'His modus operandi was to introduce the Hawala system to investors to transfer money internationally,' the source added. Hawala is an informal method of transferring money without any physical money actually moving. Once the money had been bankrolled into several MBI accounts, it is understood that lawyers would do the screening and documentation before giving the nod for partial payments to keep investors happy. To lure more rich investors, free holidays were offered to destinations like Italy and Dubai. All it took for investors was to top up their investments by up to RM100,000. Teow had crafted the MBI's image as a legitimate conglomerate with interests in property, including high-end residential and retail spaces across Malaysia and in Danok, Thailand. 'They were very professional with many teams of agents to manage investors' accounts. 'They operated from rented offices, owned restaurant chains and travelled in multiple luxury cars,' another source claimed. One mega project now under scrutiny is the proposed development on reclaimed land near Pulau Jerejak located off the coast of Penang island. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recently said the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) surrendered documents, which included minutes of meetings and financial records related to the Penang World City (PWC) project, to the Bukit Aman special task force on July 18. 'The documents concerned payments made to PDC for the purchase of land by Mutiara Metropolis Sdn Bhd (MMSB), formerly known as Tropicana Ivory Sdn Bhd. 'The focus of the investigation, as conveyed to PDC, is to examine whether any of the funds paid to PDC by MMSB between 2011 and 2019 may have been linked to the MBI scam,' Chow told a press conference in Komtar last month. Teow's elder brother, Wooi Pin, and his brother-in-law, Tan Kim Hee, were believed to be among the partners in the mega development project first launched in 2011. It was reported that police had detained Tan on April 2 to assist with the MBI probe. He was released five days later, but his company's bank accounts totalling some RM10mil were frozen. In addition, police seized two luxury vehicles – a Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Coupe and a BMW 330Li. So far, police have detained 17 suspects, including several high-profile real estate magnates from Penang. Besides Malaysians, some two million Chinese nationals, mostly from the Chongqing province, had reportedly lost over 55bil yuan (RM32.4bil) in the MBI scheme. In their desperate bid to recover their investments, some of the investors even flew to Malaysia to search for Teow in 2019. Through Interpol, the Chinese police then issued a red notice on Nov 9, 2020, to seek the arrest of Teow. With the authorities hot on his heels, he then fled to Thailand but was later arrested in July 2022. In August 2024, Teow became the first wanted person to be extradited from Thailand to China in 25 years, according to Chinese media reports. Teow, who also went by the name Zhang Yufa, was extradited under operation 'Fox Hunt', a codename for the sweeping campaign by China's police to bring back financial criminals. Now in custody in China, Teow faces life imprisonment if convicted of fraud under the Anti-Money Laundering Law.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Itmax poised for more smart parking wins in Johor, Selangor
KUALA LUMPUR: Itmax System Bhd is expected to strengthen its position in Malaysia's smart parking market, with HLIB Research forecasting additional contract wins in both Johor and Selangor in the coming months. This follows Itmax's latest appointment to operate the Selangor intelligent parking (SIP) system and manage parking compounds for Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) under a 10-year contract, extendable by five years. The latest job win marks the group's second smart parking deal in Selangor, adding 50,000 operational bays and bringing its total in the state to approximately 100,000. HLIB Research said MBSA manages about 80,000 gazetted parking bays, though only about 50,000 are currently operational. The firm said its back-of-the-envelope estimates suggest this region could contribute around RM4.1 million to the group's bottom line. HLIB Research said Itmax has secured seven out of 16 councils in Johor for smart parking so far. "We believe the group is well-positioned to progressively secure additional councils, particularly with Johor's push for a single system policy, which requires one vendor to manage CCTV, smart traffic lights and smart parking - ensuring streamlined operations across the state. "In Selangor, we understand that Rantaian Mesra was appointed by Menteri Besar Incorporation to spearhead the first phase of the SIP, covering MBSJ, MBSA, MPS and MBPJ," it said. The firm added that MPS and MBPJ have yet to appoint an operator for SIP and securing these regions would be significant to Itmax, given the sizeable earnings potential, with Selangor boasting an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 gazetted parking spaces HLIB Research kept its "Buy" call on Itmax with a target price of RM5.17, which factors in a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of 7.2 per cent and a terminal growth rate of 3.0 per cent. "Our terminal growth assumption reflects the long runway for CCTV deployment across Malaysia, supported by the national digitalisation and smart city initiatives," the firm added. HLIB Research said Itmax's current rollout of 10,000 CCTV units for DBKL is dwarfed by Singapore's 90,000, with Singapore targeting 200,000 units by 2030.
