This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 8, 2026 - June 14, 2026 In March, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) announced that 10,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, jointly operated by DBKL and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), had been installed in public areas and integrated into DBKL’s Kuala Lumpur Command & Control Centre (KLCCC) as part of its smart city initiative. While the system promises enhanced security and improved city services, its implementation has raised concerns among activists about privacy and the extent of surveillance in public spaces. Such concerns have become more pressing as biometric identification and large-scale data collection are increasingly integrated into public surveillance systems in the name of safety and smart city infrastructure. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh tells Digital Edge in an email interview that the CCTVs are supported by 16 artificial intelligence (AI) analytics, designed to empower Kuala Lumpur’s smart city systems, including KLCCC and its function as a unified municipal command hub. Part of a broader RM500 million investment in AI-powered city surveillance since 2020, the system “does not merely record. It detects, analyses and triggers real-time actions, enabling faster and more coordinated responses between agencies”, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud was reported as saying. The adoption of AI surveillance tools is not new in Malaysia. Johor Bahru launched more than 1,500 AI-powered CCTVs as of January; Penang announced plans to have 5,000 cameras by 2030 last year; and Cyberjaya announced plans to deploy 375 automated number plate recognition devices over the next three years in May. What sets DBKL’s system apart is the sheer number of CCTVs. DBKL’s 10,000 CCTVs are supplied by ITMAX System Bhd (KL:ITMAX), as part of its 10-year contract starting in 2024, with recorded