KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — A Ferrari and a Maserati Gran Turismo caused a stir in November after they were reportedly caught topping 200kph by the contentious Automated Enforcement System (AES), but their mysterious disappearance now from the system’s records has raised a DAP lawmaker’s suspicion.

DAP MP Teo Nie Ching today pointed out the wide coverage of the two events by Chinese vernacular press in November last year, which reported the Ferrari as being photographed going 243kph along the North-South Expressway. The Maserati went even faster: 268kph.

She noted that one report had Road Transport Department assistant director of enforcement Ahmad Nasir Abdul Gani had confirming the capture of the speed demons by the AES.

But she added that a written reply to her question in Parliament seeking the outcome of the two cases show that both have now vanished from the records, with officials denying that either incident was ever recorded.

“So my first question is, is RTD capable of keeping a correct record of AES? A RTD assistant director was quoted, yet the minister of transport now claims that was no such record? Was the record deleted for some unknown reasons?

“Or perhaps the story of Maserati and Ferrari was fabricated to justify the implementation of the AES? The implementation of AES never received a warm welcome from the general public. Could the story be created to add weight to its implementation?” Teo asked in a press conference in Parliament here.

The Kulai MP also questioned how the AES could have missed out on the two speeding cars when Putrajaya confirmed that an AES camera had captured a Nissan GTR driving at 238km/h and a summons had been issued.

Opposition lawmakers have accused Putrajaya of being opaque in the deal with the two firms operating the system — Beta Tegap Sdn Bhd and ATES Sdn Bhd — which were both contracted to install and run the speed-trap camera system that has sparked much public anger over what is seen to be privatisation of traffic law enforcement.

Teo noted that in the cases of the speeding Ferrari and Maserati, a fine of RM500 for those who can afford luxury cars would mean little.

“A fine of RM500 is not going to deter them from driving at dangerous speed on the road. That’s why I suggest those drivers should be charged under section 43 of the Act,” she said, referring to a section of the Road Transport Act that provides for a much heavier penalty.

“But the strange part is the RTD is only interested to issue summons to lawbreakers but can never be bothered to bring them to court,” she added.

Teo asked if this meant the introduction of AES was more targeted towards making profits than reducing road accidents.

The privatised RM700 million project began in September with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the RTD has pledged to roll out a total of 831 cameras by end-2013 to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths.

The police, who enforce the speeding laws, have said they will continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras, raising the prospect of dual fines for errant motorists.

Earlier this year, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail admitted there were weaknesses in the system but argued against dropping all the AES summonses despite the government admitting there was a need for a review.

He said the summonses were still valid and that the problematic issue was only centred on the legal aspects of the speeding tickets.