The issue concerning parking touts, or jaga kereta, isn’t new, with enforcement not really eliminating the presence of these individuals. The problem isn’t confined to just the Klang Valley, but as recent incident showed, it’s quite rampant in certain areas in the city, and it can also get ugly.

As highlighted by the New Straits Times, a woman discovered that her car was scratched after refusing to pay the RM15 fee demanded by jaga kereta for parking in a public spot in the Bukit Bintang Maybank area.

In a TikTok video, user @ballerina391 detailed the incident, stating that the touts threatened her for not paying them for the parking spot. They also apparently told her that all the parking spots in the area was “theirs,” and they had set a price of RM15 for each car using those spaces.

Because she refused to pay them, the woman said she came back to find a long scratch on the door of her car. Her post received comments from other netizens, who said they had also faced similar payment requests in the area. Sometimes, nothing happens when you don’t pay, but as this situation shows, touts can be vindictive and exact retribution.

The call for authorities to act and tackle the jaga kereta issue has also been done before, but even if it does work, it only does for a while, with the pests appearing again when enforcement dies down. Do you think the problem can be eradicated? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with myTukar.