The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has fixed Nov 14 for a clarification or decision on Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Consumer Association (KLSCA) to challenge the appointment of a company by Kuala Lumpur City Hall to manage and collect parking fees which have been hiked last year in the capital.

This follows after Justice Azizah Nawawi heard submissions from Teresa's counsel Sankara Nair and the lawyer representing the company, Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, S S Ruben today.

Justice Azizah had several months ago decided that Kok and the president of the KLSCA, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, cannot challenge the increase in parking rates by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, as this is a policy decision which the court cannot encroach when granting leave for judicial review. This decision was made in May this year.

Kok and Yusof named the Kuala Lumpur mayor and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan as respondents following the sharp hike in parking rates effective July 18, last year while the Yayasan was appointed to manage and collect parking.

Sankara said the decision to appoint Yayasan via a letter, Surat Setuju Terima Tawaran, dated Feb 6, 2015, to manage the parking is improper and questionable.

“The decision is arbitrary and in breach of the Ministry of Finance's circular dated July 3, 2014, which states any procurement of services, works, supplies worth between RM50,000 to RM500,000 shall be done by calling for a quotation and RM500,000 to RM30 million shall go through the tender process,” he said.

This is binding on all local authorities including Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Meanwhile, Ruben said that City Hall is not bound to the Financial Procedure Act, as the City Hall did not pay any money to appoint Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan while the funds collected would also be channelled to the City Hall.

It was reported that DBKL increased the parking rates by 150 percent resulting in outrage where Kok claimed there was no consultation done.

Among the parking lots affected were in the areas of Bukit Bintang, Sri Hartamas, Desa Hartamas, Bukit Damansara, Solaris Mont Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Bangsar.

Following protests, DBKL revised the hourly rates in these areas from RM2 to RM1.50 for the first hour and between RM2.50 and RM3 for the second and subsequent hours.

For areas outside the city centre but with high traffic activity such as Sentul, Bangsar and Brickfields, the charges for the first and subsequent hours is RM1, while for outlying areas like Segambut, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Setiawangsa, Sungai Besi and Bandar Tun Razak, the hourly rate is 80 sen.