08/08/2025

FRIDAY | AUG 8, 2025

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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Rollout of Multi-Lane Free Flow toll system in two years

Penang mulls Botanical Gardens Gurney Bay cable car link GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has requested Hartasuma Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for the Penang Hill cable car project, to conduct a feasibility study on a proposed new cable car route linking the Botanical Gardens to Gurney Bay. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the study is currently in its early stages and the state government would evaluate whether the new route is viable for future implementation. ‘’Gurney Bay is another iconic tourist attraction. Therefore, it makes sense to connect the Botanical Gardens with Gurney Bay via cable car as well,” he said after witnessing the signing ceremony for the financing facility of the Penang Hill Cable Car development between Hartasuma and Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Bhd on Wedneday. He said the distance between the Botanical Gardens and Gurney Bay is about 2.5km, and the proposed route could become another significant tourist attraction. In April last year, Hartasuma, a leading Malaysian homegrown pioneer in the local rail industry with almost 30 years of experience, formally entered into a contract with Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, a global market leader in the field of ropeway engineering, for the Penang Hill cable car project. The project was successfully awarded to Hartasuma through a public-private partnership on a design, finance, build, operate and transfer basis, as announced on Dec 14, 2022, with Doppelmayr providing the cable car system. Designed to carry up to 1,400 passengers per hour in each direction, the cable car will provide a 10-minute journey from the Penang Botanical Gardens to the summit, ascending 700m above sea level in under 10 minutes, covering a 2.73km route from the Penang Botanical Gardens to the top of the hill. There are three main stations, namely the Garden Station at the foot of the hill, the Turn Station in the middle of the route and the Hill Station at the top. – Bernama New tourist jetty to be built in Kelantan JERTIH: A RM2.5 million tourist jetty will be developed in Tok Bali, Kelantan, to boost the state tourism sector and serve as a new gateway for tourists heading to Pulau Perhentian. The project was made official with the signing of an MoU between the Pasir Puteh District Council and a tourism company, Nasrom Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, in a ceremony held in Pulau Perhentian on Wednesday. The MoU was signed by council president Mohd Kamarulzaman Ab Wahab and Nasrom managing director Datuk Mohd Khairey Saudi, witnessed by Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud, Bernama reported. “This MoU is a much-welcomed initiative as the project is in line with the state government efforts to strengthen the tourism sector by leveraging on Kelantan’s key assets, namely the community, culture and nature,” Mohd Nassuruddin said. “The collaboration formalised is expected to position Pasir Puteh as the eastern gateway for tourism in Kelantan, increase job and entrepreneurial opportunities for locals and turn the tourism sector into a driver of the people’s economy. This will ultimately transform Tok Bali into a maritime port town.” State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee chief Hilmi Abdullah said the jetty would be built on a 1.6ha site.

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Pilot project using Automated Number Plate Recognition system with AI-powered cameras to identify vehicles being tested at 13 toll plazas: Minister

PETALING JAYA: The government is aiming for a full nationwide rollout of a Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll system within two years, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. He said a pilot project using Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology with 99.98% detection accuracy is currently being tested at 13 toll plazas across 35 lanes under PLUS Malaysia Bhd. He added that the ANPR system uses AI-powered high-definition cameras to identify vehicles and charge toll fees, with no boom gates and no dedicated lanes required. “This is a tight system. Even if your plate is unreadable, we’ll still track you down. Dodging it is near impossible,” he said at a media briefing and live demo yesterday. “If the plate doesn’t match the car’s shape or registered data, it gets flagged. If fake plates

deducted from the next available source if the first one fails. “If you don’t have sufficient balance, we’ll still detect your vehicle and follow up. You can’t escape. “No gates, no barriers, just smooth, uninterrupted traffic. This system lets you pass through any lane, at any speed.” He tested the system earlier in the day and said it was “significantly faster” than conventional toll booths. “There are 13 toll plazas in the pilot phase. We expect to confirm its readiness by September or October,” he said, adding that the entire initiative is privately funded.”

don’t match the vehicle body, we will know. And we have ways to trace the real owner.” He added that in rare cases when plates are obscured or damaged, ANPR is backed by manual checks and AI verification. He said illegally modified plates with decorative fonts or tiny lettering are outlawed and could lead to enforcement action. The pilot system integrates with JustGo, a new digital platform in which users can register their vehicles and preferred payment methods. It supports credit and debit cards, plus e-wallets, including Touch ‘n Go. Users can also link multiple accounts, allowing tolls to be

Ops Luxury will target owners of high-end cars without road tax or insurance. – BERNAMAPIC

Brakes on owners of luxury cars without road tax

Ű BY MAHADHIR MONIHULDIN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

vehicles are spotted on public roads, and warned motorists that Ops Luxury, which specifically targets such offenders, is ongoing. “We have already identified the owners of these vehicles. If we find them being driven on the road, we will take immediate enforcement action.” Last week, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan worth RM3 million, owned by a well-known local businessman, was among 53 luxury and exotic vehicles seized by RTD. Other notable vehicles included a Lamborghini Huracan supercar and an Aston Martin DBX. All the vehicles were seized for being driven without valid road tax and insurance. The seizures were made during Ops Luxury 2.0, which was conducted from July 30 until Aug 1. In June, a Porsche belonging to a local actress was among 101 luxury vehicles seized under the first phase of the operation.

Loke said although the RM300 compound is the maximum allowed under the current Road Transport Act, the ministry is open to reviewing the law and increasing the penalties, especially for repeat or “high-risk” offenders. “There are suggestions that in cases like this, we should impose a higher fine. That is something we need to look at in the Act, because under the current law, we can only compound them up to RM300.” On Monday, it was reported that exotic cars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis owned by celebrities and business tycoons were among 1,000 luxury vehicles identified by RTD that have not had their road tax and insurance renewed for an extended period. RTD senior enforcement director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the vehicles in question are typically not used daily but are driven only on weekends or special occasions. He said RTD would take stern action if such

PETALING JAYA: Luxury car owners who fail to renew their road tax and insurance will not be able to claim their vehicles if they get seized, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke. He said under the Road Transport Act 1987, the Road Transport Department (RTD) has the power to impound vehicles without valid road tax and insurance, and vehicle owners must first settle all outstanding dues before they can reclaim their cars. “Just because they pay a RM300 compound, it does not mean they can skip paying road tax. Their vehicles will remain impounded until they acquire road tax and insurance,” he said after launching a Foodpanda Malaysia rider safety programme yesterday. He was responding to reports that luxury car owners were exploiting low fines to avoid renewing road tax and insurance.