Refunds follow furore as Penang cancels 29,240 ANPR summonses, vows manual enforcement only

George Town, Aug 10 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has announced it will cancel 29,240 summonses issued under the automated number plate recognition (ANPR) system between 2025 and August this year. The council chairman, H’ng Mooi Lye, revealed that the city council will also refund a total of RM266,160 in summons payments received during the same period.

In a press conference, H’ng explained that the ANPR summons system has been completely halted, and from now on, summonses will be issued manually by enforcement officers. The decision was made following public concerns over the system's limitations, such as the inability to differentiate between vehicles with passengers and those without, leading to incorrect illegal parking summonses.

H’ng emphasized that all ANPR issued summonses for illegal parking will be cancelled to prevent disputes. The council has also stated that the ANPR system will now be solely used for monitoring purposes, with enforcement conducted manually. Those who have already paid their summonses can submit refund claims by September 30 to the city councils, while those issued summonses for late payment despite paying within a 10-minute grace period can also appeal for cancellation and a refund by submitting their payment receipts and bank statements to designated email addresses or the enforcement directorate.