I am wondering what is the logic behind the privatisation of the national traffic enforcement system. With the government’s track record, the public cannot be blamed for believing it is a conspiracy to benefit the private companies rather than to safeguard the public interest.
The Road Transport Department (RTD) is to privatised the entire implementation of the Automated Enforcement System (AES). According to The Edge of 16 April 2012, two private companies have been appointed to execute the system.
Based on the said news, the appointed companies will be given the mandate, authority and responsibility to monitor the AES, including issuing summonses and collecting penalties.
The cooperation or deal between RTD and the concessionaires is based on profit-sharing where the concessionaire will receive part of penalty sum in each summonses collected. Simple maths says more fines equals to more revenue.
It is obvious that the deal or cooperation is profit motivated. Hence, the AES cameras will be used as a tool by RTD and the concessionaires to gain profit from the road users instead of tackling the serious traffic problems we are facing.
The road code made by Government including the AES should be used to reduce road accidents and ensure road users’ safety while the RTD and the police should remain the enforcement agents.
I urge Transport Minister Dato’ Seri Kong Cho Ha to raise this issue in Cabinet and demand the whole exercise be suspended until a new policy can be implemented after comprehensive consultations with the Automobile Association and other consumer groups.
Teresa Kok
(Media statement by Teresa Kok, Member of Parliament for Seputeh and Senior Exco of the State of Selangor, at Kaula Lumpur on 16th September 2012.)
Please don’t forget it is near GE time and the urgent need to have the cronies of Umno be well taken care off. There is no much left for the government to privatise the government services soon even the cabinet will be privatized ! Malaysia will, for a change, be first in the world to have the cabinet privatized and as a consequent there would be a cabinet left for the opposition after the GE thereafter the privatization of the embassies around the world.