PETALING JAYA: The controversy surrounding the Automated Enforcement System (AES) could have been avoided if there were proper guidelines, Transparency International (TI) Malaysia president Datuk Akhbar Satar claimed.
“Authorities like the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and particularly its Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) experts along with universities, should map out and review all such high profile public projects to avoid conflicts of interest,” he said.
Although the AES project – which was to set up, operate and maintain a speed trap camera system – was funded by taxpayers, it lacked public consultation, he claimed.
“In the end, the Government had to scrap it and now is faced with paying a heavy compensation which will come from public funds,” he said in a statement.
AES was initially supposed to start in 2012 but it came under public objection.
In December 2013, the Dewan Rakyat adopted a motion to allow the Government to take over the AES.
Reports emerged last week that two firms originally appointed to implement the AES could get about RM500mil each after they took up a case against the Government at the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration.
Akhbar said the settlement amount being sought would be controversial especially in the backdrop of economic uncertainties today.
“TI-M absolutely disagrees with the amount of compensation being discussed as reported,” he said.
Akhbar said any compensation should be kept to the minimum and the concession holder should be reimbursed for what had actually been spent without any profit element or loss of opportunity.
Malaysia Consumers Movement president Darshan Singh Dhillon said the AES was still necessary in light of increasing road fatalities in Malaysia especially during festive seasons.
He cited the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Road Safety Report 2013, which indicated Malaysia had 25 deaths per 100,000 population compared to a regional average of 17.91.
