Budget hotel operators seek clearer guidelines

GEORGE TOWN: Budget hotel operators are seeking for more leeway and time to comply with requirements under a legitimisation exercise undertaken by the Penang Island City Council to license them.

An operator who only wished to be known as Kent, 44, said compliance costs was a burden for him as he was only renting the property in Lebuh Muntri here.

He said the requirement to have concrete flooring to fire retardants would be costly to implement as well as the need for two fire escapes.

The operator expressed hopes that the relevant authorities, like the Council and the Fire and Rescue Services Department, could give operators like him more elbow room to comply with requirements.

"I hope we can get some leeway in this matter," he said to reporters after a dialogue session between budget hotel operators, the Council and the Fire and Rescue Services Department.

Those on the panel include Council Building Department director Yew Tung Seang, Council Licensing Department representative Goh Eng Chun and Abdul Muni Abdul Aziz from the Fire and Rescue Services Department.

A total of 180 budget hotels on the island have registered for the legitimisation exercise while Seberang Prai has 25 according to Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow who spoke prior to the beginning of the session.

Also echoing Kent's sentiments was Tengku Yahaya Tengku Mahadi, 59, who also called for clearer directions on how operators could comply.

He noted the Oct 31, 2015 deadline was not far off and urged the Council to provide information on what needed to be done.

"What is the next step? Where do we go to follow up?," the operator of a homestay in Jalan Penang here said when met.