Malaysia motorists reportedly wait up to five hours as automated parking fails at Petaling Jaya mall

UPDATE: In an email response on 19 August, New Ocean World said it provided assistance to guests affected by a major automated parking disruption and is reviewing its maintenance and emergency response procedures.

MALAYSIA: An automated parking system malfunction at New Ocean World Fine Food City in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, reportedly left motorists waiting for up to five hours to retrieve their vehicles.

The incident was highlighted in an Instagram post by a user who said the parking system malfunctioned on the night of 16 August, leaving customers waiting until the early hours of the following morning.

Motorists wait hours to retrieve vehicles

According to the post, the building uses an automated parking system in which vehicles are driven onto a large platform that lifts and moves them into parking spaces within the building.

When motorists are ready to leave, the system retrieves their vehicles and delivers them back to the ground level.

The Instagram user said the system began malfunctioning that night, causing vehicles to be released very slowly. At one point, no vehicles were being brought out.

The user said they had waited for about three hours when a person in charge eventually came out at around 1am to provide an explanation.

According to the post, the person said the management had been aware of the malfunction since about 10pm, but customers had not been informed earlier.

The user eventually retrieved their vehicle at about 3.40am, around five hours after they began waiting.

Management's handling draws criticism

The Instagram user criticised the management's handling of the incident, saying many elderly people and children were among those waiting for their vehicles.

According to the post, management eventually suggested that affected customers take a Grab ride home and return the following day to collect their vehicles.

However, the user said this was not a practical option for some motorists because they had left their house keys inside their vehicles.

The user also criticised the automated parking system for allegedly having no backup arrangement in the event of a malfunction.

The post attributed the parking system to technology company Evoxen, although the claims about the system's design and lack of alternative arrangements have not been independently verified.

Social media users react

The incident prompted a range of reactions online, with commenters raising concerns about the alleged delay in informing customers, suggesting compensation and sharing their own experiences with the automated parking system.

Concerns over delayed communication

Several commenters criticised the alleged decision not to inform motorists earlier despite management reportedly being aware of the malfunction.

They questioned why customers were left waiting for several hours without an earlier explanation or clearer information about the problem.

Calls for compensation

Some commenters said motorists affected by the prolonged delay should receive compensation for the inconvenience.

Suggestions included waiving parking charges, providing vouchers and offering free parking to those affected.

Similar experiences with the parking system

Some commenters shared their previous experiences using the automated parking facility.

One said they had used the facility several times without encountering a similar problem, while another recalled waiting about 15 minutes to retrieve a vehicle during a previous visit.

Reactions to the five-hour wait

The reported five-hour delay also prompted disbelief, with commenters highlighting how unusually long the wait was.

Some suggested that motorists could have taken a ride-hailing service home and returned the following day, although the original poster said this was not feasible for some customers who had their house keys inside their vehicles.

About the automated parking facility

According to information published by New Ocean World Fine Food City, the premises features a fully elevated automated car park that connects directly to the car park lounge.

As of 18 August 2026, its listed parking promotion charges RM3 (approximately US$0.75) for the first two hours, followed by RM1 (approximately US$0.25) for each subsequent hour.

A lost parking ticket carries a RM50 (approximately US$12.50) charge, while a 15-minute grace period applies.

The premises lists its operating hours as 11am to 10pm daily.

New Ocean World apologises over parking disruption, outlines assistance

New Ocean World Fine Food City has apologised over an automated parking system malfunction that caused prolonged delays for guests leaving a charity event on 15 August.

In a email response on 19 August, the management said approximately 1,000 guests attended the event, after which an unexpected technical issue significantly slowed vehicle retrieval.

Although vehicles continued to be released throughout the night, waiting times were considerably longer than normal.

Management said its teams and technicians remained on-site to inspect the system, carry out rectification work and assist with vehicle retrieval.

“As this was the first incident of this scale that we had encountered, our immediate priority was to assist the affected guests,” it said.

Guests waiting for their vehicles were provided with drinks, bread, biscuits, fruits and other refreshments.

Those who chose to leave by Grab or other transportation were eligible for assistance with reasonable travel expenses. Management said reasonable medical, accommodation and other directly related expenses could also be considered.

Affected guests were also offered a 50% dining voucher at selected restaurants as a goodwill gesture.

Review and follow-up

New Ocean World acknowledged that the delay caused “considerable inconvenience, fatigue, anxiety and disappointment” and apologised to those affected.

It said it is now reviewing the automated parking system's maintenance, component replacement, monitoring, technical response, communication and contingency arrangements.

The venue added that its automated parking system management partner had acknowledged responsibility in relation to the incident and would work with New Ocean World on follow-up actions and rectification.

“We fully recognise” the inconvenience caused and “sincerely apologise once again to everyone who was affected,” management said.