Selangor parking scheme acceptable if public interests protected, says MP

New Straits Times

3 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP) system can gain support provided the interests of local councils and residents are protected, says a Pakatan Harapan member of Parliament.
At a joint press conference with three other MPs from Selangor, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof said the initiative must not lead to a loss of revenue for local authorities.
Azli said in previous privatisation exercises, discrepancies were found between the financial reports submitted by concessionaires and actual collections by local authorities.
Such a mismatch of data led to concerns of revenue leakage and underlined the importance of transparency.
"The number of parking bays is steadily increasing, and with claims that the new system will utilise the latest technology and more efficient mechanisms, the revenue collected by councils should either increase or, at the very least, remain the same.
"As such, I believe the public can accept the initiative, provided there are firm guarantees and contractual terms that ensure public service interests are not compromised."
Also present were Subang MP Wong Chen, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Selayang MP William Leong.
The Selangor government is in the final stages of formalising the SIP agreement.
The tripartite agreement will involve Selangor local authorities, state-owned Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd, and a private firm, which will invest RM200 million to develop the infrastructure.
This includes the installation of about 1,800 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in high-traffic parking areas within four participating local authorities in PJ, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and Selayang.
Meanwhile, Lee said that while PH supported digitalisation efforts, their concern lay in the implementation of the initiative.
"We do not reject the initiative to make our cities smarter. Automation and the use of technology to improve the quality of life for the people of Selangor must remain a priority," he said, when asked about the implementation of smart parking systems in other states like Johor.
In Johor, seven local councils have adopted such systems, resulting in better public compliance and revenue collection.
"Selangor has also been at the forefront in this area, with extensive use of CCTV systems and various initiatives under the Smart Selangor Delivery Unit."
"What we're questioning is why this project didn't go through the local authorities, which by law are responsible for such matters," he said.
Meanwhile, Wong said under the current structure, a private entity would collect 50 per cent of parking revenue, while only 10 per cent would go to Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) and the remaining 40 per cent to the local authorities.
He said he believed the state government could manage and implement such projects without involving private companies.
Wong said greater transparency would allow for a more precise estimation of revenue and that the initiative's rollout should be postponed until relevant data is shared.
"Let us assess it first, then we can determine whether the programme is feasible in terms of profitability and accountability," he said.