EXCO for Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Chow Kon Yeow said the state is installing some 534 closed-circuit
television cameras (CCTVs) on both the island and mainland to monitor crime, traffic and road conditions.
He added that the RM38.3 million CCTV project already has 318 units in place, with another 216 to be installed by the end of this year.
“We started the CCTV initiative to make Penang safer which is just the beginning since CCTVs are never enough as we will need an estimated10,000 to 20,000 units for a sound network,” Chow said at a press conference when visiting the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) CCTV control
room at Komtar on May 3.
Also present were MBPP secretary Ang Aing Thye, Engineering Department deputy director, A. Rajendran and councillors Joseph Ng, Grace Teoh,
Goh Choon Keong and Terra Matrix Sdn Bhd managing director Mohd Daniel Kooy.
Terra Matrix is involved primarily in ICT Networking and CCTV solutions for government / public safety solutions and commercial applications .
Meanwhile, Rajendran said the council detected a total of 10,848 traffic obstructions through the CCTVs last year.
Action against illegal parking was also carried out based on the CCTV live feed where a total of 65 cars were towed away and 50 clamped.
“Some of the CCTVs were equipped with loudspeakers so enforcement officers can use it to tell drivers to remove their vehicles, failing which their
vehicle will be clamped or towed,” he added.
Between January and March this year, 4,242 traffic obstructions were detected, five vehicles were towed away and 53 clamped.
MBPP also opened a new CCTV operations and control room at Level Four in Komtar to monitor the existing 318 CCTVs in the state, including the
86 CCTVs in Seberang Perai.
“We are able to detect accidents, defective lamp posts and snatch thefts through these CCTVs which are also linked to the police,” he added.
The CCTVs are linked to the Penang police headquarters, the Northeast district police headquarters and also the Batu Ferringhi police operations
room.