KUCHING: The closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) installed at Jalan Arang and Jalan Dogan is not an experimental installation of the Kuching Smart City project.
Tan Kai, a political secretary to the Premier, said it was a joint project between the local assemblyman and the police.
He said the project can be incorporated into the Kuching Smart City plan in the future subject to the technical aspects.
“In addition, these CCTV poles have the potential to become a revenue source for leasing to other telecommunications companies in the future 5G network era,” he said in a statement today (Dec 29).
Meanwhile, the recent announcement by the Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian that 18 CCTV poles with 54 CCTVs will be installed in Batu Kawa area was actually under the Kuching Smart City planned by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA).
Tan said this was also the Sarawak government’s plan to implement digitalisation and to make Batu Kawa a safer place.
In the past few years, SMA has also conducted several SMART traffic light projects.
Tan was responding to Michael Kong, special assistant to Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who urged the state government to look into the existing CCTV system before embarking on another large-scale project.
According to Kong, a total of 18 CCTVs were installed at numerous locations within Padawan Municipal Council’s (MPP) jurisdiction, costing about RM600,000 or approximately RM33,000.00 per unit.
However, most of the CCTVs are not operational now, including those installed at Jalan Arang and Jalan Dogan roundabout.
Nevertheless, Tan clarified that the cost spent was not only for the CCTVs and the pole, but also included the communication network connectivity and Sarawak Integrates Operation Centre (SIOC) system.
“Hence, his (Kong) one-sided questioning without understanding the truth is premature and misleading,” he said.
He also urged Chong, who was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stampin, to seek federal funding from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and federal local government agencies to jointly develop his constituency into a comfortable and safer smart area, instead of constantly verbally questioning and complaining without seeing any concrete solution.
