KUALA LUMPUR: Draft laws to manage disposal of abandoned vehicles are expected to complete within three years.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said two committees have been tasked with mooting related policies and specific laws to address the problem.
He said studies on the matter involved cooperation with four other entities - Transport Ministry, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Goverment Ministry, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry and the Prime Minister's Department.
"The issue of abandoned vehicles have long received the attention of many. The Prime Minister's Department have informed me that 6,000 reports have been received from eight localities including in Kuala Lumpur and Johor.
"The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is concerned with this issue, which can lead to breeding ground of Aedes mosquitoes, obstruction in parking areas and leftover toxic materials that can cause environmental pollution," Wan Junaidi told Press conference today on the sidelines of the Parliament sitting today.
Among expected outcomes of the draft include proposals for systematic impoundment and demolishing of abandoned vehicles.
"We are also looking into whether to impose fines against the owners of the vehicles. There are instances that the owners had earlier 'abandoned' their vehicles because they did not have money to repair or renew road tax. But they still own the vehicles and did not exactly abandon them.
"Hence (in such a case) we will find out if the owners should be compensated if their vehicles were impounded."
In November last year, Wan Junaidi had said eight million broken vehicles were found abandoned nationwide by the roadside and parking bays, among others.
Reporting by Syed Umar Ariff; Rohaniza Idris; Luqman Arif Abdul Karim; Ahmad Suhael Adnan and Siti Nur Mas Erah Amran