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Mixed reaction to local authorities issuing traffic tickets

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 06:27 PM PDT

2011/09/29
By Suganthi Suparmaniam
news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: There was a mixed reaction from local councils and police over the decision to give local authorities the power to issue traffic summonses
for offences previously not within their jurisdictions.

Federal traffic police chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusof welcomed the move and said he did not foresee any problem with it.

However, Johor police said they would be the only authority to issue traffic summonses.

Aziz said the issue of overlap would not arise as both parties had a mutual understanding. He added that police would coordinate
with Kuala Lumpur City Hall on issuing summonses.

"There is no problem. We can start immediately as the understanding on the operation was established long ago at our weekly meetings," he said yesterday.

From Saturday, Kuala Lumpur City Hall traffic wardens will issue summonses.

Forty traffic wardens will work in two shifts, from 6.30am to 7pm, to monitor 10 road junctions.

They include Jalan Raja Laut-Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Pudu-Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Parlimen-Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Gereja-Jalan Raja Chulan
and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman-Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Apart from issuing summonses for indiscriminate parking and obstruction of vehicles, thewardens will now also issue tickets for beating red lights, stopping in yellow boxes, jumping queues and disobeying traffic warnings.

Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the move was intended to reduce congestion in the city centre.

He said the government's Special Task Force To Facilitate Business (Pemudah)
had, on Sept 9, given the warrant authority to City Hall traffic wardens to operate like traffic police in enforcing traffic laws.

However, Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said, until today, they had not received any instructions from the Federal police or the Home Ministry about local councils' receiving the authority to issue traffic
summonses.

There are three local councils in Johor Baru, with 12 municipal councils
in each district.

Petaling Jaya Municipal Council spokesman Zainun Zakaria said it would wait and see before deciding whether to follow suit.

"Let's see the effectiveness of this joint programme."

Subang Jaya Municipal Council president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi said:

"It's different for us because although we have traffic congestion, it's not because of people breaking traffic laws, but because of roads and volume of cars," he said, adding that working with traffic police on th matter was not an urgent need.

He said the council focused more on safe neighbourhoods, illegal dumping and others.

If only this deaf man could hear...

Posted: 28 Sep 2011 10:42 AM PDT

2011/09/29
By Patrick Sennyah
news@nst.com.my

Muhammad Ridhwan Abdullah made news last year for attempting to walk from Seremban to Putrajaya to meet Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil about getting welfare aid.

SEREMBAN: A hearing-impaired red identity card holder missed his chance to obtain citizenship because a Home Ministry official told him about the citizenship interview date over the telephone.

Muhammad Ridhwan Abdullah, 43, did not attend the interview as he was unable to hear and understand what the official was telling him.

He must wait another five years before reapplying.

"I received a letter dated July 18 from the Home Ministry informing me that my application for citizenship was unsuccessful as I did not attend the interview," said the odd-job worker, who can lip-read.

Ridhwan, from Kampung Sentosa Jaya, near here, said he went through many procedures in efforts to get citizenship.

On March 8, he received a letter from the ministry informing him that the status of his application would be known by Dec 31.

"When I read the letter, I thought I would just have to wait for their decision. I didn't know about the interview.

"I can't hear, so how can I know when I was asked to attend an interview? They should have known about my condition and sent a letter instead."

Ridhwan was abandoned at birth and was raised at Sultan Abdul Aziz Children's Home in Kuala Kangsar.

He made news last year for attempting to walk all the way from here to Putrajaya to meet Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil about getting welfare aid.

He eventually met Shahrizat at a Welfare Department gathering here and has since received the aid.

Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs officer Muhammad Zulkarnain Abdullah, who helped Ridhwan during his conversion, said he contacted the Home Ministry and was told that applicants could be informed about the citizenship interview
either by phone or mail.

"Ridhwan cannot hear. How is he going to understand anything over the phone? The ministry officials should admit their mistake and let him attend another interview."

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Rabu, 28 September 2011

NST Online: Topnews

NST Online: Topnews

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