KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor government, Malaysia’s only state with a freedom of information (FOI) law, is facing criticism after rejecting a resident’s request for details on its upcoming Smart Intelligent Parking (SIP) system — citing the federal Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA).
According to documents sighted by Scoop, the request was filed by Tunku Muhamad Johan Mansur, chairman of the PJ Sejahtera coalition of residents’ groups, following reports that Selangor is planning to privatise implementation of the new parking system.
“The current (public parking) system is a revenue generator for local councils,” Tunku Johan told Scoop.
“Residents were unhappy when news emerged that there’s a push to privatise it. Any privatisation should bring added value to stakeholders, but we don’t see that here. Worse still, if there’s a shortfall, who will make up the difference?”
He said he submitted the FOI request in his personal capacity to obtain details on the proposed SIP concession.
However, his request was denied by the Selangor state secretariat, which said the information was exempted under Part IV, Section 14 of the Freedom of Information (State of Selangor) Enactment 2011 and classified as “secret” under the OSA.
This is not the first time concession agreements have been shielded under the OSA.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) previously challenged in court the classification of a Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) concession agreement as secret.
In 2023, the federal government also told Parliament that the controversial Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) highway concession was similarly protected under the OSA.
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung condemned Selangor’s latest move, calling it “illogical” and inconsistent with the state’s own transparency agenda.
“How could a parking management contract — a document that directly affects the daily lives of the people — possibly threaten national security or defence?” Lee said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the decision undermines the spirit of the Selangor FOI Enactment 2011, which was meant to promote openness and accountability in state administration.
Lee urged the state to clarify why the concession was classified and to review how its FOI law is being implemented.
The Smart Intelligent Parking (SIP) system is part of Selangor’s broader “smart city” agenda to digitalise and centralise parking management across major cities, including Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, and Selayang, under its first phase.
The state government says the initiative will improve efficiency, enforcement, and data-sharing between local authorities and police — while remaining under state supervision. — October 26, 2025
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