Datuk Mahfuz Omar has slammed the move to reintroduce AES, saying it is a move for the government to make money from traffic offences. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 19, 2016.
PAS lawmaker Datuk Mahfuz Omar has slammed Putrajaya’s plan to re-implement the Automatic Enforcement System (AES) on the grounds that it will help reduce the number of road accidents.
The Pokok Sena MP said it was a "lie" by the government to reap profits from the people.
He also said the system would not be used on certain groups such as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and consort, vehicles escorting the prime minister, deputy prime minister or state guests.
"I say the government is lying, using the excuse of reducing accidents, namely fatal accidents. It has been a lie from the start.
"If we look at the camera-recorded offences under Section 53A of the Road Transport Act, vehicles ferrying dignitaries like the Agong, sultan, and prime minister are exempted from AES.
"We all know that these are vehicles driven in high speed," he told The Malaysian Insider when asked to comment on Transport Ministry's announcement that the system would be running in March, as reported in Berita Harian.
"That is why I am saying it is just an excuse that the government wants to reduce the accident rate.
"It is a lie. They (the government) actually wants to generate revenue in the name of traffic offences," said Mahfuz, who is formerly PAS information chief.
It was reported today that Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Putrajaya would reimplement AES latest by March, as well as the “Kejara” demerit point system as measures to reduce accidents on the road.
Mahfuz said his argument that AES was a scheme to make money was supported by a statement by the new company handling the AES system – Boustead Holdings Berhad, a profit oriented entity.
"The group managing director of Boustead Holdings, Tan Sri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, said it was a profit-oriented company, when it bought 50% equity from the former AES company in March last year.
"The decision to take over the business was based on profit. He admitted himself that the AES business is a profitable one and the takeover from the last company is not to reduce accidents, but to make profit."
Mahfuz, who chairs the Islamist party’s anti-postal summons campaign (Kase) committee, also said it was possible that there would be more AES cameras installed nationwide, to add to the current 14.
He said if this happened, it would further burden the people, especially when public transport was getting more expensive to use.
At the same time, Mahfuz urged the government to reveal the financial model for the system – how fines collected from summonses would be distributed.
"The government must reveal the model, like how much Boustead will get from the summonses and how much goes to the Armed Forces Fund Board and the government."
Mahfuz said he also felt that the existing laws were enough to reduce the number of road accidents, and they only needed to be improved.
The private project worth RM700 million began in September 2012 with 14 trial cameras but the Road Transport Department promised to launch 831 cameras by the end of 2013 to catch speeding drivers and to reduce the number of road accident fatalities.
On November 16 last year, Liow said Putrajaya paid a service fee of more than RM60 million to two companies since AES began operations in 2012.
At the start of the implementation, the project was heavily criticised and was used by the opposition in the 2013 general election campaign to hit out at the ruling party.
Following the controversy, the Attorney-General's Chambers froze all summonses after various technical issues occurred in the enforcement of relevant laws.
- TMI
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