MCPF Penang Secretary Ching Eng Leong represented MCPF Penang SLC in the much touted official launching of Facial Recognition CCTV Monitoring System at MBPP CCTV Control Room, KOMTAR on 2^nd January 2019. This intricate IBM technology driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) system marks Penang as the pioneering state to take a major step upward and forward to help Crime Prevention efforts. Chief Minister of Penang YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow stated that the CCTV cameras installed by the City Council of Penang (MBPP) would help the Royal Malaysia Police personnel to be able to track wanted persons. This system which is fully linked to the Police Operations Room in Penang is envisaged as a major step forward to help the Police track down wanted criminals and in turn reduce crimes in the state. MBPP has installed 767 CCTVs on the Island while Seberang Perai Municipal Council has installed 130 CCTVs.  Another 150 CCTVs would be installed on the island with another 94 would be added in the mainland. Existing CCTVs were being upgraded with Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA). MBPP Mayor AR Datuk Yew Tung Seang said that the Penang State initiatives to implement IVA and the upgrading of the MBPP CCTV Operation Centre to an Intelligent Operation Center (IOC) were a step toward enabling Penang to be a ‘Smart City’.  Penang State is investing over RM 12 million over a period of three years commencing December 2017.

Most of these CCTVs were being installed in ‘hotspots’ with high frequency of crimes, and also at road junctions and busy main roads for traffic control and enforcement. He added that beyond facial recognition, traffic violations like illegal parking, use of emergency lanes, measuring of water levels during heavy rain can be monitored. Local government, housing development and town & country planning committee chairman YB Jagdeep Singh Deo suggested that the Federal Government should look into implementing this nationwide and assisting states by subsidizing the costs of installation. The official launching alongside with YDH CP Dato’ Seri A. Thaiveegan, Chief Police Officer of Penang made waves in the Media and Press.