In JB, Malaysia’s first ‘leading smart city’, AI is used to ease jams and detect potholes

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The Johor Bahru Integrated Operations Control Centre in uses AI to track traffic flow, detect potholes, and even catch litterbugs in real time.

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA

Summary

• JB achieved leading smart city status with its integrated operations control centre to monitor traffic, detect potholes, and bust crime via CCTV cameras placed around the city.
• Residents can access data on traffic, parking, floods and public toilet cleanliness through mobile apps, but awareness and usage remain low.
• Analysts say technology alone cant solve JBs congestion, pollution, and infrastructure issues, highlighting the need for better enforcement.

AI generated

JOHOR BAHRU – In a former multi-purpose hall atop the Johor Bahru City Council building, a 12m screen displays live feeds from 555 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras monitoring every corner of Malaysia’s southern capital.

The Johor Bahru Integrated Operations Control Centre (JBIOCC) in the city centreuses artificial intelligence (AI) to track traffic flow, detect potholes, and even catch litterbugs in real time – technology applications that helped JB pip capital city Kuala Lumpur to become Malaysia’s first “leading smart city” on Oct 28, 2025.

JB residents can tap into the system through mobile apps and the council’s digital map, to check everything from traffic conditions and parking availability, to flood warnings and public toilet cleanliness ratings.

“This command centre helps us in solving three main issues often faced in JB: traffic congestion, security, and city management,” said Dr Choo Kok Wah, commander of the JBIOCC, told The Straits