Press Statement by DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng in Komtar, George Town on 5.11.2012
I refer to the article in The Star today titled, “Lim: Respect the law and pay AES summonses”. This headline is unfortunately inaccurate and misleading.
While I repeatedly stressed during the press conference that I am against the implementation of the Automated Traffic Enforcement (AES) 1Malaysia camera system, and that “whether we like it or not, these are summonses issued under the law”, I had not at any time said that people should pay the summons. Instead, I said that I will not make such a call until I get a briefing by the Transport Ministry and after further discussion is made with the PR Leadership.
Previously, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar had called on the public to ignore the AES 1Malaysia camera summons because it was unjust and benefits crony companies. While I expressed sympathy with Mahfuz’s call, I stopped short of supporting the move because as a government leader I cannot be asking people to flout the law by tearing up their traffic summonses. Any decision must only be made after great deliberation and consultation with lawyers and the top PR leadership.
After all, even when I was detained and imprisoned, we still accepted the decision even though it was a clear travesty of justice. Whilst we can defy any unjust laws, we must also be prepared to pay the price.
In this case, all PR states have already made their stand clear in disallowing the AES 1Malaysia cameras, because we believe that summons should be preventive in nature with all proceeds going to the government and not into the pockets of crony companies that benefit from profit-sharing agreements with commissions made on each summons issued. Clearly, this commercialisation and privatisation of summonses is not in the public interest and done solely for the private profiteering of BN crony companies.
Nevertheless, if elected to power in the 13th General Election, DAP will call for the future PR Government to revoke all AES speeding summonses because it is conducted not in the public interest but for private profiteering by BN crony companies. This will apply only to speeding summonses and not to traffic light offences.
However, until and unless there is a change of government, there is nothing we can do and the summonses issued are valid as far as the law is concerned.
Lim Guan Eng
— Mandarin Version—-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年11月5日在光大发表声明：
民主行动党将会叫未来的民联政府，撤销全部自动执法系统的超速罚单，因为这些罚单不是基于公众利益而发出的，而是为了国阵朋党公司的私人利益。
我引述《星报》今天的新闻：“林冠英：请守法及偿还AES罚款”。不幸的是这个标题是不正确及具误导性的。
当我在记者会重复强调我反对自动执法系统的一个大马电眼系统，以及“不论我们喜不喜欢，这些罚单都是在法律下开出的。”我从来没有讲过人民应该还罚款。反之，我说，除非交通部交代清楚、并与民联开会讨论，否则我不会做此呼吁。
之前，回教党副主席玛夫兹奥玛叫公众不理睬自动执法系统一个大马电眼的罚单，因为它不公正及让朋党公司受益。我同情玛夫兹的呼吁，但是我不考虑支持这项举动，因为身为政府领袖，我不能叫人民轻视法律，撕掉交通传票，任何决定都必须与律师、民联领袖商量及咨询后才决定。
再说，当我被扣留及监禁时，虽然那是歪曲的公义，我们还是接受判决。当我们违抗不公正的法律时，我们也必须准备付出代价。
因此，所有的民联州属已经表达立场，不会让自动执法系统在州内安装一个大马电眼，因为我们相信罚单应该是起阻遏性作用，而罚款应该全归政府，而不是通过“利润分享”的合约，让朋党公司从罚款中受益。这种将罚款商业化及私营化的做法，不是为了公众利益，而是为了让国阵朋党公司从中谋利。
然而，如果第13届大选 改朝换代，民主行动党会叫民联政府撤销全部自动执法系统的超速罚单，因为这些罚单不是基于公众利益而发出的，而是为了国阵朋党公司的私人利益。这只针对超速罚单，而不是闯红灯的罚单。
然而，直到改朝换代，我们无能为力，因为交通传票是在合法情况下发出的。
林冠英