SHAH ALAM: Several Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) enforcement officers, who allegedly demanded bribes from business operators, have been instructed to cease field duties. Internal investigations have started on them.
Selangor Local Government, Public Transport and New Villages Committee chairman Ng Sze Han said MBPJ had also been directed to give its full cooperation to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in the course of investigations.
“The Selangor government will not compromise on briberies, misappropriation and abuse of power in its administration. The public are advised to refrain from giving any bribes and report to the authorities if it happens.
“There is no place for corruption in Malaysia Baru, and Selangor is committed to fighting corruption in an effort to create a transparent, clean and trustworthy administration,“ said Ng.
Earlier, Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu lodged a report with MACC alleging that traders are being blackmailed into paying bribes over promotional banners.
According to Ronnie Liu, traders at a popular shopping mall in Petaling Jaya were approached by several officers from a city council on May 30 and accused of displaying the banners without approval.
“The banners were for half-day or one-day sales promotions. For instance, you could buy two packets of nasi lemak for only RM3. How are traders to apply for permits just for one-day promotions?” he asked.
He said the enforcement officers would go to the traders and inform them that the council was planning to conduct a raid the following day. “The traders were given an option to pay RM100 as a ‘settlement’ and to avoid getting caught and having to pay a RM1,000 penalty,“ Liu told reporters at the MACC headquarters here today.
He said some traders paid the bribe but those who refused to comply were later issued with summonses for a RM1,000 fine.
Liu said the incident was caught on camera and the footage showing the personnel receiving the bribes has gone viral on social media.
He said that while traders require permits to display banners outside their premises, there were exceptions.
