A three-minute video of a crane lifting a black sedan off a residential street in Penang has gone viral, drawing attention to a piece of machinery the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has used since 2022 to clear abandoned vehicles from public spaces.
The Bernama report identified the equipment as the Multi-Purpose Loader with Crane, a specialised vehicle acquired to handle abandoned cars that conventional tow trucks cannot manage. MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said it targets vehicles without tyres or those positioned in ways that prevent standard towing.
“This equipment is primarily used for abandoned or end-of-life vehicles that are impractical to tow using conventional tow trucks, such as vehicles without tyres or those parked in a condition that makes it difficult for tow trucks to access and remove them safely,” Rajendran told NST.
The machinery gained public attention after Kristine Teoh shared a video of the crane in action on social media. Her post, which showed the vehicle lifting a car from a tight parking spot between two other vehicles, drew positive reactions from users praising MBPP’s efforts to address the issue of abandoned vehicles.
Rajendran said the loader was not routinely used for ordinary illegal parking or traffic obstruction cases, as MBPP maintains separate enforcement vehicles for conventional towing operations. The equipment can also relocate heavy municipal objects, including concrete barriers, when required.
On 27 August, Seri Delima assemblyman Connie Tan said several abandoned vehicles had been removed over two weeks through cooperation between her office, MBPP and relevant agencies. The cleanup would continue, with abandoned vehicles identified and removed location by location to return public parking spaces to the community.
Vehicle owners have been urged not to leave unwanted vehicles in public parking spaces for prolonged periods, as the buildup limits parking availability for residents and other road users.
