‘MBPP failed to act on report’
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has been taken to task over its alleged failure to act on a report on a scratched vehicle due to negligence by its enforcement officer.
Malaysian United Party youth secretary Ong Chun Jiet said the right front rim of his Mercedes-Benz was scratched when an MBPP officer wanted to clamp the vehicle on Oct 4 last year.
Ong said the paint stain on the rim was consistent with the colour of the wheel clamp used by the officer.
“Due to lack of parking space at Lorong Delima 5, Island Glades, I parked my car outside the parking lot along a yellow line, but I did not block the traffic there.
“I admit that I committed an offence. I paid the RM50 fine to undo the clamp.”
However, he claimed that there was a yellow mark on the area where the clamp was placed.
“I pointed it out to the officer, but he refused to accept his mistake. He said the mark was there even before it was clamped.
“This repair will cost me several hundred ringgit. It is a foreign car and it is not cheap to fix,” he said at the party’s office at Lebuh Melaka here yesterday.
He lodged a report with MBPP on the same day after he paid the summons, urging the council to take responsibility for the officer’s negligence.
Ong said several days after the report was lodged, he was notified that MBPP was investigating the case. However, they have kept quiet ever since.
He said it had been a year and MBPP had yet to offer any explanation.
“I do not want the money. I want MBPP to issue an apology in a press statement and let it be published. I give them until Monday noon to do so, failing which I will take legal action.”
In a statement, MBPP said it had conducted an investigation and concluded that the scratches on the rim existed even before its officers clamped the car, following photographic evidence taken by its officers.
“The Road Transport Act also states that the authorities are exempted from bearing the liabilities of loss and damage on the vehicle when a clamping exercise is carried out.”