KUCHING: Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) to automatically waive parking fines issued between the 1st and 9th of the month that resulted from problems associated with the newly implemented parking system.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Tiong said the waiver should be granted without requiring motorists to submit individual appeals, stressing that the responsibility for resolving issues during the transition should not be placed on the public.
He said the new parking system had generated complaints from Sibu residents, including difficulties purchasing parking passes, unfamiliarity with the mobile application and instances where parking bay and vehicle registration details became locked in the system.
According to Tiong, these issues highlighted the need for further improvements before full implementation, adding that any policy affecting people’s daily lives should be thoroughly tested, properly studied and clearly communicated to the public beforehand.
“If a system is not yet ready, it should not be rushed into full implementation. More importantly, people should not be made to bear additional fines because of problems arising during the transition to a new system,” he said.
Tiong, who is also Dudong assemblyman, noted that some motorists were required to pay for a minimum parking period of 30 minutes even when they occupied a parking bay for only a short time, while the system continued to register the bay as occupied until the purchased period expired.
He said the application should incorporate greater flexibility, including a reasonable grace period similar to those provided at shopping mall car parks, where motorists are typically given about 15 minutes before charges apply.
He also said enforcement officers should adopt an educational approach during the initial rollout of the system by providing guidance and assistance instead of immediately issuing fines to motorists still learning to use the application.
He added that local authorities should provide sufficient publicity, training and a reasonable transition period, particularly for senior citizens and others unfamiliar with smartphone applications.
Tiong said policymaking should prioritise public convenience and affordability, especially amid rising living costs, and should take into account the practical challenges faced by different groups of users.
He also questioned whether Sibu’s current parking charges, at about RM0.84 per hour, were appropriate compared with rates of about RM0.74 in Kuching and RM0.53 in Bintulu.
In addition, he said parking management should consider the operational needs of industrial areas such as Jalan Khoo Peng Loong, where logistics companies, warehouses and heavy machinery businesses require greater flexibility for loading and unloading activities.
Tiong emphasised that authorities should engage the public, businesses and other stakeholders before implementing new policies to better understand practical challenges and ensure smoother implementation through adequate preparation and communication.
Recently SMC chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh said motorists issued with an over-parking notice (OPN) who are dissatisfied may submit an appeal to the council for a waiver. The OPN carries a fee of RM1.
He said the council is reviewing several aspects of the new smart parking system following its implementation on July 1, including introducing a grace period of up to 10 minutes to allow motorists sufficient time to pay through the SMC Cares app before a RM10 compound for non-payment is issued.
Ting added that SMC is also considering introducing a season parking pass for senior citizens aged 60 and above as part of efforts to improve the system and make it more user-friendly.
