A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 – The Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) has ordered a halt to all court

The A-GC has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to AES summonses. — Reuters pic

proceedings related to summonses issued under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to study legal issues that have been raised, it said today.

The A-GC statement came today after an outcry over the AES which has issued nearly 300,000 summonses since it began last September 23.

“In view of the concerns made by certain quarters on the law and other technicalities, the AGC has decided to look into this matter and directed that all proceedings are to be withheld until the concerns have been addressed.

“A decision will be made within the next few days on the above-mentioned issues,” the AGC said in a statement today.

The statement, however, added that the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department were still valid.

“In respect of the four AES summons cases that have been discharged not amounting to an acquittal, the AGC will re-study them and will be re-registered if they warrant any prosecution,” it added.

The Malaysian Insider had reported this morning that Putrajaya was considering holding off the implementation of the system as it appeared to duplicate police speed traps along the highways.

The privatised RM700 million project began in September with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the Road Transport Department (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 put 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 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.

PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar also told the RTD today to refund traffic offenders caught by the AES and who have paid their fines after the department moved to recall the court cases.

The Pokok Sena lawmaker suggested that the government agency appeared to have suspended temporarily the enforcement of the speed trap cameras after it moved yesterday to take back the summonses issued to offenders who had taken their grievances to court.

AES: Saya tidak puas hati disaman

Harga kamera AES Malaysia terlampau mahal

Anti-AES protest outside Kong Cho Ha’s Lumut office

Hundreds of people staged a protest this afternoon against the Automated Enforcement System outside the Lumut parliamentary office of MP Kong Cho Ha, who is also Transport Minister.

Organisers estimated the crowd at 500. The protesters marched after Friday prayers from the An-Nasyirah Mosque in Sitiawan to Kong’s office in Sitiawan. They wanted to deliver a memo to Kong but were disappointed when only a clerk at the office came out to accept the memo.
Among the politicians in the crowd were Perak PKR rep Chang Lih Kang, Perak Pas Youth rep Raja Ahmad Iskandar and Central PKR rep Siti Aisyah Sheik Ismail as well as NGO reps. The memo was read out by the Bantah AES coordinator.
It appears that the AES uproar could turn out to be a major issue in the coming general election as it is typical of the way lucrative concession agreements are entered into with obscure but politically well connected firms.