Selangor's parking deal stinks to high heaven
The most important was that the exercise has been deemed illegal by legal experts as it infringes upon the statutory rights of local councils to manage parking under the Road Transport Act (RTA) 1987.
The Local Government Act (LGA) 1976 governs, among others, the administration and management of local authorities, including the provision and regulation of parking facilities.
While the LGA does not specifically detail car park operations, it empowers local authorities to enact bylaws for managing public spaces, including parking areas.
Additionally, the RTA provides for the regulation of traffic, including parking, and grants the local authority the power to designate car parks and enforce parking regulations.
Accordingly, the Road Transport (Provision of Parking Spaces) (Petaling Jaya City Council) Order was enacted and gazetted, giving such powers to the local authority.
But on Wednesday...
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Malay Mail
21 hours ago
- Malay Mail
PJ MP urges Selangor backbenchers to join campaign in push against parking privatisation
PETALING JAYA, July 25 — Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung today announced a campaign to gather signatures from Selangor backbenchers urging the state to postpone and review the privatisation of public car parking lots under the Selangor Smart Parking System (SIP). He also noted that only the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has submitted a formal objection to SIP, though other councils may be constrained by their appointed status. 'I've also noticed that Selangor backbench state assemblypersons have yet to make their stand known on this issue, which is puzzling,' he said in a statement here. 'Therefore, I am announcing today that I will begin engaging Selangor backbenchers to initiate a joint signature campaign, urging the state government to postpone and thoroughly, transparently, and professionally review the SIP scheme.' Lee said four MPs including himself have expressed the need to review and delay the scheme with four local authorities: MBPJ, Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS). These MPs also included William Leong (Selayang), Azli Yusof (Shah Alam), and Wong Chen (Subang). 'MPs derive their mandate from the people. We hold general elections every four to five years, costing hundreds of millions, precisely to ensure that public sentiment is reflected in policymaking. 'Compared to appointed officials, the views of elected representatives must not be disregarded,' Kee said. Lee compared the situation to an apparent silence from other city councils and mayors, claiming that mayors are civil servants appointed by the state government — making openly objecting understandably difficult. He also highlighted that most councillors are also appointed by the state, and their term ends later this year. 'Many are hoping for reappointment. So while some have privately expressed concern, going public with opposition may risk their positions,' he said. Earlier this week, the four MPs had urged for SIP to be delayed, and for an independent committee to review the proposal and for full disclosure of the scheme's terms and conditions, including its commercial aspects.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
‘Tribunal key to curbing rental bias'
Rajiv, speaking at the forum in Petaling Jaya, says a rental tribunal will be able to address disputes for both tenants and landlords. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star A RENTAL tribunal under the proposed Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) can help address issues related to rental disputes, eviction claims and race-based discrimination, a forum has heard. Findings by Architect of Diversity (AoD) show that reasons for discrimination by landlords can be grouped into three categories – bad experiences, poor resolution mechanisms leading to overreaction, and prejudice masked as 'racial preference' alongside cultural or religious concerns. Wee: Biases pervasive in rental industry. AoD executive director Jason Wee said the race-based filtering issue by landlords and property agents remained widespread. 'There are many findings across our research and public sentiment surveys on landlords and tenants.' If the bill is not tabled and passed, it will continue to do injustice to the affected Malaysians, Wee said during a forum by Social Democracy Malaysia (SocDem) and AoD in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. He added that some property websites still allowed filtering of prospective tenants by race. The forum, titled 'Tackling Rental Racial Discrimination', explored how the long-awaited legislation could formalise protections and promote equal treatment. 'Fear of income loss is the landlord's top concern, often leading them to screen tenants based on race rather than financial credentials,' said Wee. Kusaaliny: Tribunal can protect both parties. SocDem co-founder and Petaling Jaya City Council Zone 11 councillor M. Kusaaliny said the proposed Act should include provisions for a rental tribunal. 'The goal of the tribunal is to protect interests of both tenant and landlord. 'It would allow both parties to resolve disputes efficiently without the cost of legal representation, with claims amount capped,' she said. 'No one wins in a broken rental system. 'If landlords cannot rent out their properties safely, the market slowly dies. 'If tenants cannot secure homes because of prejudice and harm caused by others, the cycle will never be broken,' Kusaaliny stressed. Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran, a tenant and landlord himself, said he understood the challenges faced by both sides. 'We need quick decisions on problems. 'If a tenant does not pay rent, or if there is a leaking roof or faulty toilet, bring these up to the tribunal,' he said. Rajiv said out of nine million households in Malaysia, about 1.8 million were staying in rented properties. 'Even if just 5% of these have disputes, that is enough to keep a tribunal busy,' he said. He highlighted that the tribunal could balance the interests of both landlords and tenants. 'If a tenant moves out and the landlord finds damage, taking legal action can cost around RM6,000 in fees. 'The tribunal would ease this burden. 'There must be a clear provision in the law that there will be no racial discrimination in housing. 'The most important element is to establish the tribunal,' said Rajiv.
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Traffic enforcement blitz in Ampang Jaya
AMPANG Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) issued nearly 4,000 parking-related compounds to errant motorists during a large-scale enforcement operation that took place in several commercial areas. The three-day operation, dubbed 'Ops Terjah Parking', was carried out from July 15 to 17 in Taman Muda, Taman Perindustrian Pandan Indah and Pandan Jaya. In addition to 3,930 compounds, five notices were issued and two vehicles were seized. 'The main offences identified during the operation included failure to pay parking fees and placing vehicles outside designated parking bays. 'Enforcement was carried out under the Road Transport Order (Provision of Parking Spaces) (MPAJ) 2007,' the municipal council said in a statement. The operation involved issuing compounds to vehicle owners who failed to pay parking fees and offering on-site compound payment services. The stronger enforcement drew support from some who said similar operations should be carried out more often in other busy commercial areas. A frequent visitor to Bandar Baru Ampang, Jenny Selvam said the double-parking situation had gotten out of control. 'There are usually parking bays available but some people choose to double park for convenience. This creates unnecessary congestion for others. 'I hope MPAJ will step up enforcement and carry out regular checks,' she said. A check by StarMetro at the Pandan Perdana, Pandan Indah and Ampang Point commercial areas showed a similar need for enforcement. Motorists double-parked or parked along main roads that are not designated for parking. In Pandan Indah, double-parked vehicles interrupted traffic flow, causing congestion. MPAJ, in the same media statement, said the operation would be continued in all gazetted parking areas under its jurisdiction. 'The public is advised to pay parking fees and park within designated bays to avoid obstructing traffic.' Compounds issued must be settled to avoid further action, the local council added. In May, MPAJ towed 29 vehicles during another operation in the Ampang Point area. It also issued 41 compounds to vehicle owners who had parked in back lanes or blocked key access points.
