KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 1,009 public complaints regarding damaged or abandoned vehicles were lodged with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) between January and May this year, with 992 cases successfully resolved. The remaining 17 complaints are still under investigation.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa revealed that the highest number of reports came from Segambut (163 complaints), followed by Seputeh (143), Setiawangsa (113), and Bukit Bintang (81).
DBKL’s Enforcement Department manages these vehicles by relocating them to three designated depots—Taman Connaught, Pantai Sentral, and Jalan Emas—specifically for storage and disposal.
“Among the improvement measures being taken by DBKL is to speed up the disposal process for unclaimed vehicles through gazetting. However, the gazetting process takes time because DBKL needs to ensure that the owner or next of kin will not reclaim the vehicle before it is disposed of to safeguard the interest of ownership,” she said in Parliament.
Dr Zaliha was responding to Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun’s query on abandoned vehicle complaints and resolution rates. She stressed that vehicle owners must take responsibility for disposing of their own vehicles.
DBKL has observed an increasing trend of unclaimed vehicles, particularly in cases where owners have passed away without next of kin or when vehicles are kept for sentimental reasons.
To streamline deregistration, the Road Transport Department introduced the e-Dereg system, allowing owners to cancel vehicle registration online via JPJ’s digital platform. The system directs vehicles to authorised disposal facilities, with transportation and disposal costs covered by the facility.
“Owners will also be paid some consolations based on the condition of the vehicle. The consolation received can be used to pay outstanding summonses if any,” Dr Zaliha added. - Bernama
