It's expensive, sophisticated...and open to abuse for ulterior motives. This is the reaction to a plan to install cameras in major points in cities and along roads and highways, to track errant motorists.

Social reform group Aliran is particularly alarmed over the idea, given that China has been cited as a success story for the proposed Traffic Intelligence Enforcement System.

The Star reported yesterday that the proposal has been submitted to the government set up a "highly sophisticated system to monitor traffic infringements via spy cameras".

Federal traffic chief Gingkoi Seman Pancras said the cameras would be linked to a police central database, which will allow them to monitor a motorist's movement throughout the journey.

Gingkoi said the system has proven effective in several cities in China by curbing road accidents and fatalities.

Tools of control

Aliran, however, believes that the "Orwellian proposal" by the police indicates the possibility that such cameras could be used for political purposes.

"Although such omnipresent cameras can be used to look out for dangerous drivers and motorcyclists, they can also be open to abuse," it said in a statement.

"That such technology is in use in China should only warn us of the possibility that certain regimes which aren't the most democratic can use such cameras for purposes other than traffic management.

"Once we go down that road, it is only a matter of time before we have cameras being used to monitor all other aspects of public life. Such cameras can be transformed into tools of political control to monitor the physical movements of ordinary citizens as well."

It said other factors involved in road accidents and traffic violations, such as the system of the testing of drivers, vehicle inspection and enforcement, should be looked into and improved instead.

Lawyer Zaid Ibrahim agreed with the need for caution and called for prudence in determining the exact nature of such cameras and their use before rushing into the proposal.

"If such cameras really serve to nab traffic violators and terrorists, for example, and bring down road accidents and fatalities, then (it would be worthwhile)," said Zaid, who heads the pro-tem Malaysian Civil Liberties Society.

"But statistics indicate both that our road accidents and fatalities are not much worse than that of developed countries, and that their rise is seasonal. It would seem that we are over-reacting if we rush into installing such cameras before a thorough study has been conducted."