Selangor prepared to postpone parking scheme, says exco man
PETALING JAYA : The Selangor government is prepared to postpone the introduction of the Smart Intelligent Parking (SIP) system, which would see a private company roped in for the collection of parking fees and enforcement.
State local government executive councillor Ng Suee Lim said there is still time for the state government to review and resolve the issues that had been raised by various quarters.
He also gave the assurance that the final form of the SIP would benefit all parties, including the local councils involved, Berita Harian reported.
'We have met with the local councillors (from the local governments involved in the first phase of the SIP). We take the concerns raised seriously. However, we still have time to study and find a win-win solution.
'If more time is needed for further discussions to be held, we are willing to postpone the SIP's implementation,' he was quoted as saying.
The SIP is slated for implementation in Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Selayang on Aug 1, involving the four local councils, state-owned Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd and a private company.
Enforcement would be carried out by the local councils with Rantaian Mesra to act as a system coordinator. The private company, which has yet to be appointed, will handle the four local councils' daily parking operations.
Earlier today, Pakatan Harapan MPs representing the four constituencies urged the state government to review the proposal and to set up an independent bipartisan committee to reassess the scheme.
They said they were 'especially troubled' by the apparent prioritisation of private interests over the rights and welfare of their constituents and the local councils, calling for the Aug 1 launch to be delayed.
Ng said the SIP was a key component of the state government's aspiration to develop 'smart cities', and that the plan was to expand it to the rest of Selangor.
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But that is incredibly hard to do, and if Tun was to claim that as his most important life achievement, I would probably not argue against him. Meanwhile, happy belated birthday Tun, and may you have many more healthy years ahead of you. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
