ISKANDAR PUTERI: Local authorities (PBT) carrying out enforcement duties, especially enforcement officers must be tolerant and responsible when handling petty traders, the state assembly was told.
State Housing and Local Government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said he has received several reports about the way enforcement officers reacted when taking action against petty traders, especially roadside hawkers.
Mohd Jafni said carrying out enforcement was not wrong but officers need to be tolerant and responsible during the coirse of their duties.
“I have been receiving complaints from roadside hawkers. For example, a ‘makcik’ has been carrying out her business for about 10 years without a permit, then suddenly one day the PBT enforcement officers came and seized everything from her stall.
“I feel the better option will be to advise them first before taking any drastic action,“ he said when answering a question from Datuk Pandak Ahmad (BN-Kota Iskandar) at the Johor State Assembly in Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar, here today.
Pandak had wanted to know about actions taken by the government to overcome issues related to petty traders who having been carrying out their business without licence, especially in Kota Iskandar.
Mohd Jafni (BN-Bukit Permai) said the government is aware of such petty traders who choose to carry out their business at roadsides to seek additional income to support their families, especially so, because many have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“... if they are prevented from carrying out small businesses, is the government ready to allocate RM1,500 a month to support them,“ he asked. - Bernama
