SHAH ALAM: The proposal requiring all entertainment centres in the Federal Territories to close by 1am will be determined at a Minister’s Council meeting scheduled to be held in Jan next year.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said the council comprising all MPs in Federal Territories would decide the operating hours of entertainment centres based on their locations.
“For the time being, entertainment centre licence has three operating hours, up to 1am, 3am and 5am but many entertainment centres here (Kuala Lumpur) did not adhere to the operating hours as stipulated in their licences,” he said at a press conference at the Umrah and Islamic Tourism Exhibition here yesterday.
Khalid added, the operating licence for up to 5am which was only given to entertainment centres mostly patronised by foreign tourists, was found to have been abused.
“On many occasions, Kuala Lumpur City Hall operation found entertainment centres closing at 5am were full of locals with no foreign tourists, so we will review if the operating hours of entertainment centres is still suitable.
Meanwhile in Ipoh, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the state government would be getting the views and advice of local authorities if there was a need to shorten the operating hours of entertainment centres in the state.
He said at the moment there was no need to shorten the operating hours of entertainment centres especially in Ipoh as the entertainment centre situation in the state was still under control and did not annoy the public.
“In line with the target of the state government to develop the tourism sector of Perak, we need to take into consideration the rational need to attract more domestic and international tourists to Ipoh,” he said in a statement yesterday. — Bernama
