Bandar Kuching parliamentarian Chong Chieng Jen has criticised the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) for releasing only three minutes of a video clip of the controversial raid on a family of hawkers two weeks ago.

"Deputy enforcement director Lantak Amin should have shown the entire, unedited version of the video. The raid lasted 30 to 45 minutes, with the enforcement officers seen using violent tactics on the family," Chong (below) told reporters today.

chong chieng jen interview 141108 03"The city authorities only want the public to see what they are prepared to show, not the full version of the raid in which the officers were violent with the four family members," he said.

Lantak has denied reports that her officers had used parang and hammers during a raid on the hawkers as they were plying their trade at the Jalan Bako roundabout in Petra Jaya, near the Sarawak capital, about 10am on Jan 13.

She said the officers observed "established procedures and rules" when they conducted the raid.

"We have specific guidelines when handling street vendors and hawkers. In this case, the family was hawking on a green area and destroying the landscape, and more importantly, jeopardising their safety and that of others," she said.

However, Lium Umpeng said the officers "behaved like gangsters" and beat him up, as well as his father Umpeng Gona and brothers Lee and Balan.

'47 enforcement officers used violence on four of us'

"Why the need for 47 enforcement officers, and use violence on the four of us?" he asked at the press conference with Chong.

Lium accused the officers of smashing their food and drink stall and seizing food items, drinks and cash.

He said the officers also lifted a table and flung it on the ground before smashing it with hammers.

He lodged a report with the Kampung Gita police on Jan 21, stating that RM3,000 in cash belonging to him, his father's RM1,200 and another RM1,200 belonging to Lee went missing during the raid.

He said DBKU had also not returned to him one tonne of sugarcane, 490 coconuts, 980kg of bananas, 10kg of chicken, four tables, seven gas cylinders and a pair of spectacles costing RM600.

His family stall was the only one targeted by the officers, he said, adding that he asked for the press conference with Chong after the enforcement officers refused to return most of the items seized, despite several pleas.

Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyperson, said the raiding party should have listed the items seized on the spot, including the cash, before these were taken away.

"I regret to say that they only listed the items after getting back to their office, much later," he said, adding that it was not the way things were done.

"All items seized must be listed out on the spot," he said, and asked why the cash and several other items taken away were not in the list.

"I call on the DBKU enforcement officers to be professional in discharging their duties, and not to use strong arm tactics against hawkers," Chong, who is a practising lawyer, added.