Paper parking coupons are gone from Malaysia's big cities. Street parking is now paid by app, and the app depends on which council owns the road. Drive from Bangsar into Petaling Jaya and you cross from one system into another. The rates, paid hours and fines change too.
This guide sets out what each of the main city councils uses, what an hour costs and how parking compounds work, as of 30 October 2026. Where a figure comes from a council's own website or gazette we say so. Several hourly rates are published only in news reports or inside the apps themselves, and we flag those too. The rate shown in the app before you pay is the one that counts.
Kuala Lumpur
DBKL's own app is EZKL Smart Park. Its online-services page lists Flexi Parking, Touch 'n Go eWallet, Boost, Mcash and Ekupon as accepted alternatives. JomParking is no longer accepted in KL from 1 January 2025, so a JomParking balance will not cover a DBKL bay. KL removed its parking meters in October 2020.
The Star reported in February 2026 that street parking is priced by zone. Zone A (the city centre) costs RM1.50 for the first hour and RM2.50 for each hour after, Zone B RM1 an hour and Zone C RM0.80, with a monthly pass at RM140. Paid hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday; Sundays and public holidays are free. DBKL has not posted these rates on its own website.
Some KL streets also have a two-hour limit. The Star reported in March 2025 that DBKL would pilot it from 7 April 2025 at Medan Tuanku and Jalan Ipoh Kecil, then extend it to other streets in stages. Two hours costs RM4 in Zone A, RM2 in Zone B and RM1.60 in Zone C. DBKL has not published a full list of affected streets, so read the signboard before topping up past two hours.
Selangor
Most Selangor councils use Smart Selangor Parking (SSP), the state's app run by Menteri Besar Incorporated. Its app-store listing says it handles hourly parking, monthly passes of up to six months, and compound payments by notice number or plate. It also warns you if you are paying in the wrong council area and says it will not charge outside paid hours or on holidays. The Star put the hourly rate at RM0.40 to RM0.60 depending on the council.
Things are changing. Since 1 August 2025, Subang Jaya (MBSJ), Shah Alam (MBSA) and Selayang (MPS) have run under a ten-year concession called Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP), operated by Selmax. The Star reported in July 2026 that Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) had still not signed up.
One warning from this year: a cyberattack took both SSP and Flexi Parking offline on 30 June 2026. Selangor suspended summonses while the apps were down, and some users reported missing credit when they came back on 2 July. Screenshot your session if anything looks wrong.
Penang
Both Penang councils use Penang Smart Parking. Buletin Mutiara, the state government's news site, reported the current rates: MBPP (the island) charges RM0.60 per 30 minutes, RM1.20 an hour or RM9 a day from 3 March 2025, and MBSP (Seberang Perai) RM0.40 per 30 minutes or RM0.80 an hour from 1 January 2025. A monthly pass is RM150 on both sides.
Johor Bahru
JB's rates are in the Johor Gazette of 30 April 2026 (in force from 1 January 2026): RM0.40 per half hour or RM0.60 an hour in street bays, collected from 8am to 6pm, and RM1 an hour in controlled car parks. On 1 June 2026 the ParkMax@Johor app replaced MBJBSpot (parking was free throughout May during the switch), and Bernama reported that six Johor councils use it. Note that under the gazette, OKU drivers in JB still pay and must display their Kad OKU.
How compounds work
Most councils now cut a parking compound sharply if you pay fast, and raise it if you do not.
- DBKL (from 1 March 2026, as reported by Malay Mail): RM10 within 7 days, RM20 within 8-15 days, RM30 within 16-30 days and RM50 after that. Pay through Pay@KL or PBTpay.
- MBSJ (its own FAQ): RM10 within 24 hours, RM20 at 2-14 days, RM30 at 15-30 days, RM50 at 31-60 days and RM80 after 60 days.
- MBPP (its own compound schedule): RM10 the next day, RM15 within 30 days, RM30 at 31-60 days and RM45 after that for an unpaid bay. Parking a car in an OKU bay is RM150.
- Klang (MBDK) (its press release of 30 March 2026): RM10 within 1-3 days, RM30 within 4-14 days and RM300 from day 15.
SSP and most council apps let you look up and pay a compound by plate number, so check the app before you assume a notice on your windscreen has gone away.
Practical tips
- Pay by plate, not by bay. These apps tie the payment to your number plate. If you switch cars, update the plate first.
- Time is sold in blocks. An hour started at 6.25pm runs to 7.25pm, even if paid hours end at 6pm.
- Do not assume a grace period. None of the councils we checked publishes one.
- Keep a little credit in two apps if you regularly cross between KL and Selangor.
