The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR | Dec 19, 2012
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha has been urged to step in and cancel the 300,000 speeding tickets issued under a controversial system that has sparked public outrage over what is seen to be a privatisation of traffic law enforcement.
The Penang state government told Putrajaya today to not just freeze the prosecution of traffic offenders caught under the Automatic Enforcement System (AES) but to refund those who had paid the fines issued by the Road Transport Department (RTD) from September 23.
“Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha (picture) should step in to exercise his powers to cancel these RTD summonses to atone for his support for AES.
“Should Kong not do so, he should resign for being identified as a discredited supporter of AES, to the extent of vilifying the Penang state government as encouraging accidents to happen,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to the AES summonses to study legal issues that have been raised even as it said the tickets were still valid, it said in a statement yesterday.
Lim acknowledged the AGC’s statement as “legally correct” but insisted “there should be no more unnecessary delay in putting an end to this sordid scheme of allowing two BN crony companies to profit based on commissions imposed on every traffic summons disguised as enforcement to reduce accidents”.
The Malaysian Insider had reported yesterday that Putrajaya was considering suspending the implementation of the system as it appeared to duplicate police speed traps along the highways.
It is understood that Kong has been one of the few ministers who have been defending the implementation of the AES behind closed doors.
The privatised RM700 million project began in September with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the RTD has pledged to roll out a total of 831 cameras by end-2013 to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths.
The police, who enforce the speeding laws, have said they will continue enforcement and carry on putting up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras, raising the prospect of dual fines for errant motorists.
“The government is considering putting on hold the implementation of the AES due to the duplication of the summons system. That will cause hardship,” a source had told The Malaysian Insider.
He also noted that several lawmakers from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have also asked the government to stop the implementation until all views are considered.
Another source said the government wants to ensure the AES will help ensure that motorists follow speed limits throughout their journey rather than just in the areas where the cameras are situated.
“This system is to enforce speed limits and ensure road safety,” he added.