By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Nov 8: All parking coupons bearing valid serial numbers and printed with the year ‘2025’ will be accepted for refunds starting Monday (Nov 10) until Dec 5, 2025, announced Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng.
Wee said the refund arrangement was decided during a meeting with Kuching City Parking System (KCPS) on Nov 6, to ensure fairness to motorists holding valid coupons following the city’s transition to the new Kuching Smart Parking System under Pay & Go.
“Older coupons without 2025 printed are invalid and will not be refunded as they have already expired. Those holding valid coupons are encouraged to claim their refunds during this period,” he said during his weekly ShallWeeTalk live session today.
Motorists can claim refunds for unused parking coupons at KCPS office near Crown Square, Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim, from Monday to Friday during office hours until Nov 30, 2025.
Additionally, a dedicated counter will be set up at MBKS headquarters from Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm, where citizens can receive assistance on registering Pay & Go’s Elderly Easy Payment (EEP) and guidance on using the Council Parking feature.
“Our headquarters is air-conditioned with a seated waiting area and free of parking fees. This is for the convenience of our citizens,” Wee said.
The mayor reported encouraging uptake of the new smart parking system, revealing that in just seven days, from Nov 1 to Nov 8, the system recorded over 8,000 registered users and 11,000 registered vehicles under the EEP scheme.
Following public feedback, MBKS urged the operator to make the Pay & Go app multilingual, which now supports Chinese, English, and Malay.
“We’ve also requested the operator to make the EEP application multilingual. They’ve assured us it’s technically possible but will require some time to update the app,” he said, reaffirming MBKS’ people-first approach.
Wee emphasised that since his appointment as mayor in 2019, his administration has prioritised serving citizens rather than engaging in online arguments or politicising issues.
“Some have asked why I’ve been quiet lately. It’s not because I’m avoiding anything. It’s because I’m working to resolve issues raised by our residents. Our duty is to serve the people, not politicise every issue.
“When we first launched Pay & Go’s smart parking system, we already acknowledged there would be teething problems, including refund delays and system adjustments. These issues are being resolved step by step,” he said.
Addressing misconceptions, Wee clarified that MBKS holds only a 26 per cent stake in KCPS and cannot make unilateral decisions, as other shareholders are involved.
“The shares are held by MBKS, and I serve on the board as the council’s director. I do not hold personal shares, nor do I receive any salary, bonus, or commission from the company, similar to how government representatives sit on the board of Malaysian Airlines, as it would be unreasonable to expect the Prime Minister to act as a representative personally,” he explained.
He pointed out that KCPS has been operating at a loss due to non-compliance by motorists, such as failing to display parking coupons or discarding compound tickets.
“These compounds are recorded, and we will recover them,” he said.
Wee also urged the public and certain quarters not to spread misinformation or politicise the smart parking rollout.
“Don’t mislead the public or claim credit for work already being done. We are all Sarawakians; our community is small, and we must stay united,” he said.
The mayor further revealed that MBKS will propose expanding the EEP initiative to include non-local residents aged 60 and above under the Sarawak–Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) programme.
“Our goal remains the same, which is to build Kuching into a modern, people-centred smart city,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
