KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's northern state of Penang launched on Wednesday a facial recognition system capable of identifying faces of criminals through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
For the first time in the country, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the technology which uses artificial intelligence would prevent crime and check on traffic offenders, according to state news agency Bernama.
"This technology which is capable of detecting the faces of criminals or people wanted by the police will be operated from the CCTV control room of the Penang City Council and the Penang Police headquarters.
"The monitoring via CCTVs is an initiative by the Penang state government to reduce crime, especially street crimes in an effort to maintain the safety and well-being of the people," he said.
The system works on identifying criminals or wanted persons through images uploaded by the police and would track such individuals while alerting the authorities on their movements.
He added that the initiative includes increasing the number of CCTVs on the island from 767 to 3,000 units in stages and expanding the camera network to other parts of the state.
