City Hall cannot nab 'alien' hawkers
Andrew Ong & Muda Mohd NoorPublished: Apr 30, 2008 3:45 PM | Updated: Apr 30, 2008 3:51 PM
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) cannot take action against foreigners who work as petty traders and hawkers.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) cannot take action against foreigners who work as petty traders and hawkers.
Ibrahim Yusoff, who heads the hawkers licensing department, said DBKL is only authorised to confiscate stalls and book the owners.
“Foreigners are under the jurisdiction of the immigration department,” Ibrahim told reporters on the sidelines of Mayor Abdul Hakim Borhan’s weekly ‘meet the press’ session at the headquarters today.
Ibrahim said errant stall-owners who hire foreigners or lease stalls to foreigners can be fined RM300 for the first offence. For repeat offences, they can be charged in court where they are liable to a maximum fine of RM2,000.
He added that licences issued to the errant owners may even be revoked.
Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo’ Lo’ Ghazali had raised the issue during the inaugural meeting betwem Pakatan Rakyat MPs and the Federal Territories Ministry.
She claimed that rampant abuse of the licences have led to foreigners “controlling” trade in many meant locations.
Parking woes
Abdul Hakim revealed that from next month, the hours of operation for parking bays under DBKL’s jurisdiction will be extended to 10.30pm in all areas.
He explained that this is meant to curb illegal jockey-parking services, whose operators make use of these bays, particularly in the popular night-spots of Bangsar and Sri Hartamas.
“We don’t want our services to be used by other people,” said Abdul Hakim.
DBKL now operates 9,000 metered parking bays, at a fee of 60 sen per hour.
Abdul Hakim also said that a total of 30,000 parking bays would be regulated through a ‘pay and display’ system by next month.
The announcement was made in response to questions about DBKL’s plans to resolve parking woes.
To another question, he said DBKL would consider regulating the charges at private car parks, which currently impose a wide range of rates.
“Those that are too costly, we might have to regulate,” he said.
In another development, DBKL will spend RM5 million to plant 60,000 trees this year, continuing its programme of ‘greening’ the city.
Five contractors have been appointed and the trees will either be transplanted from nearby forests or bought from nurseries.
Ibrahim Yusoff, who heads the hawkers licensing department, said DBKL is only authorised to confiscate stalls and book the owners.
“Foreigners are under the jurisdiction of the immigration department,” Ibrahim told reporters on the sidelines of Mayor Abdul Hakim Borhan’s weekly ‘meet the press’ session at the headquarters today. Ibrahim said errant stall-owners who hire foreigners or lease stalls to foreigners can be fined RM300 for the first offence. For repeat offences, they can be charged in court where they are liable to a maximum fine of RM2,000.
He added that licences issued to the errant owners may even be revoked.
Titiwangsa MP Dr Lo’ Lo’ Ghazali had raised the issue during the inaugural meeting betwem Pakatan Rakyat MPs and the Federal Territories Ministry. She claimed that rampant abuse of the licences have led to foreigners “controlling” trade in many meant locations.
Parking woes
Abdul Hakim revealed that from next month, the hours of operation for parking bays under DBKL’s jurisdiction will be extended to 10.30pm in all areas.
He explained that this is meant to curb illegal jockey-parking services, whose operators make use of these bays, particularly in the popular night-spots of Bangsar and Sri Hartamas.
“We don’t want our services to be used by other people,” said Abdul Hakim.
DBKL now operates 9,000 metered parking bays, at a fee of 60 sen per hour.
Abdul Hakim also said that a total of 30,000 parking bays would be regulated through a ‘pay and display’ system by next month. The announcement was made in response to questions about DBKL’s plans to resolve parking woes.
To another question, he said DBKL would consider regulating the charges at private car parks, which currently impose a wide range of rates.
“Those that are too costly, we might have to regulate,” he said.
In another development, DBKL will spend RM5 million to plant 60,000 trees this year, continuing its programme of ‘greening’ the city.
Five contractors have been appointed and the trees will either be transplanted from nearby forests or bought from nurseries.
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