(Photo via Facebook/Zahid Hamidi)

KUALA LUMPUR (July 15): The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) requires at least 20,000 units of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be installed throughout the capital to monitor crime and traffic congestion issues.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said currently, there are 5,000 CCTV units installed across the city for this purpose.

However, he said the CCTV installations cannot be undertaken solely by DBKL, but require cooperation from ministries, departments and agencies, especially the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).

“Towards this end, DBKL is responsible for seeking funding for installation, monitoring and surveillance. DBKL, in cooperation with these departments and agencies, needs at least 20,000 CCTV units, meaning that from now until the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), this effort must be carried out,” he said.

He told reporters this after chairing the Cabinet Committee on road safety and traffic congestion (JKMKKJR) meeting here Monday.

Also present were Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh.

Zahid said this initiative is also seen as a step towards modern policing to reduce the omnipresence of uniformed officers in the city.

“We learn from Smart City and Safe City initiatives in other countries that with high-definition (HD) and facial recognition CCTV, crime rates and accidents can be reduced, and other monitoring issues can be managed without infringing on personal rights,” he said.

On traffic congestion in Johor Bahru, he said several studies and measures will be promptly undertaken by the relevant ministries, considering the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project connecting Bukit Chagar to Woodlands in Singapore is scheduled for completion in 2027 to realise the Greater Johor Bahru plan.

“Immediate studies must be conducted to alleviate this traffic congestion, and several steps have been taken with the state government, ministries and agencies at the national level. We propose it be done before the implementation of the dispersal plan once the RTS is completed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zahid said the meeting also discussed the proposal to set a maximum speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour (km/h) in school zones.

“The average death toll is 67 fatalities each year in school zones. This committee has proposed to lower the speed limit to 30km/h (from 40km/h currently) in school zones.

“Speedbumps also need to be installed without requiring additional allocations from the ministry, but local authorities (PBT) and schools can collaborate to install them,” he said.

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