The BN Government should admit that PR was right abolishing the AES

The Attorney-General's Chambers Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail should not only withhold prosecution of individuals who have been penalised through the Automated Enforcement System (AES) but also refund all monies paid by those who settled the summons. Nearly 300,000 summonses has been issued since the AES 1Malaysia cameras were first installed in 14 locations on September 23 2012.

More summonses will be issued when the remainder 817 locations, making up a total of 831 throughout the country, will be installed over the course of the next one year. Abdul Gani’s suspension of prosecuting motorists penalised with 300,000 traffic summonses under the AES is a vindication of the bold and correct decision by the Penang state government of being the first state in Malaysia to bar AES from being installed.

Even though Abdul Gani tried to soften the huge blow to the BN and Federal government’s credibility by claiming that the move stems from public concern over "the law and other technicalities" related to the system, it is clear that AES has lost public credibility. There should be no more unnecessary delay in putting an end to this sordid scheme of allowing 2 BN crony companies to profit based on commissions imnposed on every traffic summons disguised as enforcement to reduce accidents.

Abdul Gani is legally correct that the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department were still valid. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha should step in 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.

The BN government should just not withold prosecution of summons under the AES but admit that PR was right abolishing the AES and refund all summonses paid because of public anger at this crony project.