Driving out in the Klang Valley is usually no easy feat. From navigating poorly maintain roads to traffic congestion, getting from Point A to Point B can amount to an ordeal in its own right. But upon arriving at your destination, another special kind of hell begins: finding a parking spot. After circling around the parking basement or parking lot a few times, you spy an empty lot and speed over immediately to it. But to your shock and anger upon arriving, you find a person/chair/cone right in the middle of the spot, with the intention to ‘chup’ (reserve) it for someone else.
The practice of ‘chupping’ a parking spot has long since been admonished by local road users, given the fact that any and all available parking spots operate on a first-come, first-serve basis for vehicles. And yet, it would seem that not everybody shares that consensus as this incident goes on to prove.
Woman ‘chups’ parking at KL mall, gets caught red-handed
In a post that was shared by local Facebook netizen
But to his chagrin, a woman could be seen pacing close by, seemingly hoping to ‘chup’ the spot ahead of her family’s vehicle arriving. In fact, she would head over and inform the netizen’s brother’s family of her intentions, to which they told her she wasn’t allowed to do that.
And yet the woman ignored their gripes and simply waited on for her family’s Mercedes SUV bearing Singaporean registration plates to pull up, before giving way for it to reverse into the parking spot once it was vacated. Resigned to the situation at hand, the netizen’s brother vented out his frustrations by honking at the Mercedes driver to no avail.
In speaking with WauPost, the netizen said that the incident had occurred at KL East Mall on Sunday (September 4th 2022).
The act of ‘reserving’ a parking spot is illegal in Malaysia
It is worth keeping in mind that not only is the act of ‘chupping’ parking spots a faux pas, it is in fact an illegal act that can be punishable by law in Malaysia.
As explained under Section 50(3) of the Road Transport Act 1987, “if any person, otherwise than with lawful authority, remains on any road or at any parking place for the purpose of importuning any other person in respect of the watching or cleaning of a motor vehicle, or for the purpose of directing any driver of a motor vehicle in respect of parking on such road or at such place, he shall be guilty of an offence.”
Those found guilty of committing the offense are liable of facing a maximum fine amount of RM2,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, with a RM4,000 fine or 12 months jail term for subsequent offences, as stipulated under Section 119 of the same Act.
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