What happened
Paultan.org reports that IJM launched a RM18 million Smart Highway Traffic Control Centre at Besraya’s Loke Yew toll plaza lay-by. The centre uses AI, data analytics and IoT to monitor Besraya, NPE and LEKAS through cameras, incident-detection systems, number-plate scanners and variable message signs.
Paultan.org reports that IJM launched the Smart Highway Traffic Control Centre on 8 September 2026 at the Sungai Besi Expressway’s Loke Yew toll plaza lay-by. The centre is based on HyperLane technology from Globalcomm Solutions, an IJM subsidiary, and monitors the Besraya, New Pantai Expressway and Kajang-Seremban highways.
According to Paultan.org, the centre uses 144 closed-circuit cameras, 87 video incident-detection systems, 35 automatic number-plate recognition scanners and 22 variable message signs. Its AI-enabled detection scope includes congestion, pedestrians, flooding risks, liquid spills, potholes, rubbish dumping, vehicles travelling against traffic, illegal lane changes, improper shoulder parking, illegal advertising and vehicle classification.
Paultan.org reports that the centre’s data is linked to the Malaysian Highway Authority’s national traffic management centre. The centre is also supported by Guard Expert Pro, a highway-patrolling management system developed with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. IJM said emergency response times could be as fast as eight to 10 minutes, described as 33% faster than before. These figures are reported claims and were not independently confirmed by AI Understanding.
Why it matters
The deployment shows AI being used in a live transport-safety operation rather than as a demonstration or general announcement. If the reported detection and response improvements hold up, the system could help highway operators identify hazards earlier and reduce the time needed to respond. Its limits also matter: the report says police do not currently receive the data in real time, and the system’s effectiveness has not been independently assessed by AI Understanding.
The launch is a concrete AI deployment in public-facing infrastructure. The system is intended to help operators identify hazards and abnormal driving behaviour continuously across three busy highways, potentially supporting earlier intervention than manual monitoring alone.
Paultan.org cites Malaysian Highway Road Accident Database System data showing 26,675 accidents on the country’s tolled highways last year, including 839 deaths, with 85.4% attributed to human error. That context makes automated detection practically relevant, but it does not demonstrate that IJM’s system will reduce accidents.
The reported use of automatic number-plate recognition and speed monitoring also raises governance questions. An IJM official told Paultan.org that the data is not currently linked to law enforcement in real time. The report does not provide retention rules, access controls, independent audits, false-positive rates or evidence that the AI classifications are reliable across different road and weather conditions.
What to watch next
Watch whether IJM publishes measured safety results, false-alert rates, response-time data and details about how long the system has operated. Further developments may include real-time links with law enforcement, expansion to additional highways, and clearer information about data governance, retention and the treatment of number-plate information.
The most useful next evidence would be independently measured changes in incident-detection accuracy, emergency response times, accidents, congestion and false alerts. The article reports IJM’s response-time claim but does not describe the baseline methodology or testing process.
Paultan.org reports that IJM will work with police where necessary to maintain highway safety, but it does not say whether or when a real-time law-enforcement connection will be implemented. Any such change would make accountability, data-sharing rules and safeguards more important.
The source does not document a public purchase option, subscription price or standalone availability. This is an operational system for IJM-managed highways, so ordinary motorists may encounter its effects without directly accessing the technology. The report also does not state whether the system is already fully operational across all three highways or is being phased in.