Request For CCTV's At Highway Rest Areas Unreasonable, Says Samy Vellu

SUNGAI SIPUT, April 8 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today described as unreasonable the Pan-Malayan Lorry Owners Association's request for close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be placed at rest and recreation (R&R) areas along the North South Expressway (NSE).
He said the lorry owners should take steps to ensure the safety of their valuable goods and protect their businesses.
"When you are conducting a business, you must be prepared for all that. You should not ask the government to do this and that.
"The next time, (even) the people who sell their products at supermarkets will also ask for CCTVs because they want protection. If we were to extend the facility to the whole country (all highways and shopping complexes), it will cost billions of ringgit," he told reporters after opening Perak MIC's annual convention here today.
He was asked to comment on the association's request to Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Bhd (Plus) to fix CCTVs at the R&Rs to monitor the safety of lorries laden with goods owned by about 10,000 members of the association that ply the highway on a regular basis.
The association's president Er Sui See last Saturday said it had asked Plus to take the step since two years ago to protect the lorries and drivers from robbers and hijackers.
Samy Vellu said the safety of the lorry drivers and goods they ferried were the responsibility of the owners and not the highway's concessionaire and the government.
"It is their business not our business. Its your business so you must take care of your business.
"They should pay for the GPS (Global Positioning System) service to track their lorry movements instead of asking others to look after their property, this is very inconsiderate... business people must fork out some money to protect their assets," he said.
In another development, he said that the MIC had applied for an allocation of RM100 million from the federal government to help Indians engage in micro and small enterprises.

tunku : another hp6 remarks from samy vellu. even with GPS the lorry still can be rob.this is not just for the lorry drivers safety but the safety of all the highway users.the highway is not free, we pay to use it, so why the PLUS can't install CCTV at this R&R area?there are thousands of lorries using highway and the amount of toll collected from them alone is hundred of million in a year. after all they are not asking the government to install it, so why are you jumping samy? the PLUS have to make sure the safety of it users in all aspect.