BE PATIENT, OFFICERS TOLD
Don’t get emotional when conducting inspections, urges minister
ENFORCEMENT officers of local authorities (PBT) have been advised to be patient and be less emotional when monitoring and conducting operations, especially involving inspection of business licences and permits.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said PBT enforcement officers should be responsible and prudent in discharging their duties to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings.
The minister was commenting on a 46second clip showing a fight between traders and a group of Klang Municipal Council (MPK) enforcement officers in Jalan Taiping, Klang, which had gone viral.
“I have contacted MPK president Datuk Mohamad Yasid Bidin and he has informed me that there was a misunderstanding between the traders and officers involved in the incident.
“I would like to advise officers, regardless of ministries, to be more patient and not to be driven by emotions (when discharging duties),” she said after officiating a fire safety campaign in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri here yesterday.
In Klang, MPK said the two traders who were involved in the fight with a group of enforcement officers at a bazaar in Jalan Taiping here last Saturday had carried out their business without obtaining a licence from the local authority.
Yasid said the two men were found to have operated their business at an unauthorised place.
“Based on MPK records, the last time the traders applied for a business licence at the bazaar was in 2014.
“Our investigations into the incident found that they had carried out their business without a licence.
“They are not allowed to carry out their business at the bazaar in Jalan Taiping as the area is only for the sale of dry goods such as clothing, accessories and Raya cookies.
“Only canned drinks are allowed to be sold at the bazaar, but they were selling drinks in jars,” he said.
According to Yasid, prior to the incident, MPK enforcement officers had warned the traders to stop operating to avoid action being taken against them.
However, he said, the traders ignored the warning, compelling the officers to seize their business wares.
“The dissatisfied traders tried to prevent the officers from carrying out their duties to the extent of causing a fight between them,” he said, adding that such an incident would not have taken place if the traders had abided by the rules set by MPK.
Yasid said the traders could apply for a licence to operate their business at other locations as the MPK had provided more than 1,300 business sites.
On Sunday, the Klang Utara police arrested the two traders, aged 18 and 41, at Sungai Kapar Indah police station here after recording their statements at 5am.