Selangor parking system working fine, no need to fix it, says PJ MP
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung ( pic ) said the current parking collection fee system, where Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) Selangor takes a 10% administrative cut, should remain based on its effectiveness.
"The current parking system has been functioning effectively with no major complaints.
"If the system is not broken, why fix it?" he said in a press statement on Thursday (July 17).
Lee said the proposed parking system risks compromising the financial autonomy of the four local councils, which include Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
The others are Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).
On Wednesday (July 16), state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the privatisation under Selangor's Intelligent Parking (SIP) initiative hinges on final consent from all involved parties, including the four local councils.
Lee pointed out that revenue collected from the parking fees contributes directly to MBPJ's consolidated fund and is reinvested into essential local services such as road maintenance, public parks, and lighting, said Lee.
"Why jeopardise this vital income stream?" he questioned.
Lee added that local councils are best placed to determine suitable smart city and parking solutions for their communities.
"Even proposals to add new parking lots now reportedly require state-level approval — an overreach that undermines local authority," he said.
Lee added that in 1999, the state government awarded a similar concession, which ended in failure.
He urged the Selangor government to safeguard the legal and financial independence of local councils.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Zetrix to benefit from Malaysia's blockchain plans
PETALING JAYA: Zetrix AI Bhd, formerly known as MyEG Services Bhd , is poised to benefit from new ancillary revenue streams as Malaysia's blockchain and digital ID ecosystems enter nationwide deployment in the second half of this year, according to UOB Kay Hian Research (UOBKH Research). In a recent note, the research house said the group is well-positioned to capitalise on the full rollout of the Malaysia Blockchain Infrastructure (MBI) and My Digital ID, both being developed in collaboration with the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (Mimos). 'Given Zetrix's partnership with Mimos for MBI, we deem that any potential nationwide policy that encourages better adoption of blockchain technology may be beneficial for the group,' UOBKH Research said. It highlighted potential use-cases such as the tokenisation of financial instruments, including bank guarantees and bankers' acceptances. It said Zetrix is also co-developing the My Digital ID Superapp with Mimos, aimed at providing a single sign-on platform for identity verification across government platforms such as MySejahtera, MyJPJ and MyHRMIS. 'Zetrix will monetise this project through one-off registration fees and recurring income via subscription modules for any commercial entity that wants to use MY Digital ID as single-login user ID solutions in the future,' it noted. UOBKH Research said Zetrix has invested over RM1bil into developing its blockchain over the past three years and has launched multiple applications, including Ztrade with China customs, certificate of origin authentication services, smart-contract verifiable credentials, and blockchain-based digital signing. 'More importantly, some of these government-to-government blockchain applications under the Zetrix platform solidify the group's presence within the domestic e-government space, with increasing adoption rates across various ministries,' it noted. UOBKH Research has maintained a 'buy' call on Zetrix, with an unchanged target price of RM1.46 a share.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
North Korea says South Korea's overtures 'great miscalculation'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 27, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong Un said on Monday in the first response to South Korean liberal President Lee Jae Myung's peace overtures. Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to South Korea-U.S. security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. In one measure aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." (Reporting by Jack KimEditing by Marguerita Choy)
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
PJ folk against privatising street parking in Selangor
DOZENS OF Petaling Jaya residents are urging the Selangor government to scrap its street parking privatisation plan. The new Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP) system will take effect on Aug 1 in four local councils - Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Selayang. Under the new plan, a concessionnaire appointed by state investment arm Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) will handle fee collection. A town hall meeting, organised by PJ Sejahtera, was held on Sunday (July 27) involving elected representatives and stakeholders in Petaling Jaya. PJ Sejahtera is a coalition of resident associations, civil society groups and other stakeholders. Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, who was part of a four-person panel, questioned the sudden move to privatise street parking. 'The current parking system is working well and there are no complaints among the public,' he said. 'If there are issues, then local councils should be given space to attend to them and fix them." Former Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah called on the state government to be more transparent on the issue. 'Who decided on the implementation of SIP? So far, the information has been coming out in drips, which does not help with transparency,' she said. Former Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu raised doubts over the legality of SIP, saying the right to charge parking was given to local councils under the Road Transport Act 1987. Activist and journalist R. Nadeswaran said revenue from parking should go toward local authorities to fund their services for residents. Also present was Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran. Earlier on Sunday, mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) had conditionally accepted the state government's decision to privatise street parking in the city. He, however, stressed that any deal must guarantee that MBPJ receives the same amount of revenue from parking fees as before. Sunday's town hall meeting was the latest blow to the SIP implementation, after a petition by four Selangor MPs on Friday, calling on the state government to form a committee to review the move. The other representatives are Selayang MP William Leong, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof and Subang MP Wong Chen. Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin, at Sunday's town hall, questioned if the MPs, who were from the Pakatan Harapan coalition, had discussed the proposal at party level before bringing it to the state executive council meeting. 'Don't you have a WhatsApp group to discuss issues? It seems that there is a disconnect between decisions made at state level and backbenchers,' he said.
