Despite efforts to address the problem, abandoned vehicles continue to proliferate in the country. In the Klang Valley alone, three local councils recently reported that there were more than 27,000 such vehicles in areas under their jurisdiction.
Local authorities have faced long-running difficulties removing abandoned vehicles due to problems tracing owners, inaccurate registration details as well as lengthy verification and disposal processes.
Now, the housing and local government ministry, working together with the transport ministry, is looking at how to improve existing legal provisions via new guidelines. Its minister, Nga Kor Ming, said the joint initiative aims to clarify powers and expedite enforcement and disposal processes while safeguarding the rights of vehicle owners, as the New Straits Times reports.
He said the new guidelines are expected to be implemented by local authorities in the peninsula before the end of this year, while implementation in Sabah and Sarawak will be coordinated with the respective authorities, according to applicable legal frameworks.
Nga said the updated approach aims to shift the management of abandoned vehicles from a purely enforcement model to a comprehensive solution balancing legal authority, public rights, and owners’ social responsibility.
He added that both ministries are also exploring approaches where the use of various legal instruments can be considered. “This includes the Road Transport Act 1987, as well as introducing a more systematic voluntary disposal method to encourage owners to legally dispose of obsolete vehicles. The ministry is also improving the guidelines for the management of abandoned vehicles in local authority operational areas, introduced in 2020,” he said.
“This aims to streamline procedures for tracking, removing, storing, and disposing of abandoned vehicles based on available powers under relevant laws, including the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974,” he wrote in a written parliamentary reply, responding to a question from Jimmy Puah (PH-Tebrau) on the ministry’s plans to draft or amend existing laws to tackle the issue of abandoned vehicles nationwide.
“The government stresses that the approach to managing abandoned vehicles is not merely issuing guidelines, but involves a comprehensive action framework based on good governance, field evidence, inter-agency coordination and practical work process improvements for local authorities to implement,” he said.
He added that the government is confident that with the support of all parties, including the transport ministry and the police, the issue of abandoned vehicles can be addressed more effectively and holistically.
