The Malay Mail
June 24, 2008
FEDERAL Territories Deputy Minister Datuk M. Saravanan, who went on walkabout last night at Bukit Bintang to inspect petty trading activities, warned he would take action against traders operating without licences.
Around 10pm, he found an illegal kisok doing business and confronted its workers, asking for the business licence.
He expressed anger and frustrationthat the kiosk,which was selling clothes and other adornments on a pedestrian walkway at BB Plaza, was erected and running without any City Hall approval.
“How can this kiosk even be constructed and operating a business when they are still waiting for approval from City Hall?With the price hikes, why are they allowing foreigners to be operating when we are trying to help Malaysians???? According to the workers at the kiosk, they had beenoperating there for about aweek.They said three other tenants were renting the place at around RM200 a day.
Just then an individual, apparently representing the owner of the kiosk, arrived and told Saravanan that they had already sought the approval of the management of BB Plaza, UDA Holdings Bhd.
“This is UDA property and UDA premises. We have been given permission.We have also submitted our application for a licence,??? he said, adding that he would call up a “Datuk Seri??? to explain their situation.
Saravanan later told report ers: “I am firm in my decision, I will send a memo to City Hall tomorrow morning (today) and City Hall will have to demolish the building immediately. I’m still wondering which ‘Datuk Seri’ is so powerful to build a structure without City Hall approval. “Nobody is above the law, we can’t have double standards for anyone.??? Saravanan, having discovered foreign students working at kiosks, called on the Education Ministry to check all foreign students who abused their student visa by working in the country.
Earlier, a foreign student at a kiosk claimed that he planned to start a company and to apply for a work permit and was simply “helping a friend??? when Saravanan asked if he had a work permit.
Another foreign worker at a kiosk said she was ignorant about licensing requirements for the stall.
“We ‘cari makan’ only, how can this place be demolished????