Ipoh mayor says never received any application to climb signboard

IPOH: The Ipoh City Council ( MBI) did not receive any application to climb the Ipoh signboard in Jalan Kuala Kangsar here from any party, said Ipoh Mayor Datuk Zamri Man.

He said claims by a group of teenagers that MBI had approved their application to climb the iconic signage were untrue.

“I’ve checked, no approval was granted by any department heads including MBI.

“Even if there was such an application, we would not allow it,” he told reporters during the New Year Eve celebration and ceremony to launch Visit Perak Year 2017 here on Saturday night.

Pictures of the prank climb which went viral four days ago on Instagram and Youtube showed a group of teenage boys and girls climbing the 20m-high signboard.

The youths were also shown lying in hammocks tied to the poles of the signboard frame.

Zamri said the council had never given permission to the public to enter the area near the signage or climb it, except to contractors.

“Even for contractors who perform maintenance work, we make sure they adhere to security protocols by wearing safety belts, in addition to using a crane,” he said.

He said teenagers’ actions of lying in the hammocks attached to the poles of the signage could be categorised as vandalism.

“The signage’s poles could give way and hit road users because it is not a structure erected to take up additional load such as the weight of individuals,” he said.

On whether the council would confront the group of teenagers involved, Zamri said there was a possibility, and at the same time urged the police to investigate the matter.

MBI lodged a police report at the Ipoh district police headquarters at 12.45am.

Meanwhile Ipoh District Police Chief, ACP Sum Chang Keong said police are investigating the report on the incident.

He said the investigation would be carried out under Section 336 of the Penal Code for committing an act which could endanger their personal safety as well as that of others and if found guilty, the offenders could be jailed for not more than three months or fined RM500 or both.

“In this regard, police asked the media or the public with information on the group concerned to come forward and assist in the investigation,” he said at a media conference, here yesterday. — Bernama