Provide evidence or apologise, Mayor tells opposition
Mayor Lawrence Lai has challenged the opposition to produce evidence within 24 hours that the city council’s enforcement officers were rough with illegal hawkers, or else they should apologise.“I will take disciplinary action against enforcement officers who acted as alleged by the opposition,” said Lai during a press conference yesterday.
Deputy mayor Mohd Che Kadir, head of enforcement Robert Ayu, Councillor Kho Ek Chong and several senior council officers were also present at the conference.
He was commenting on allegations that enforcement officers acted like rascals, forcibly taking away vegetables from illegal hawkers; throwing them on the ground and stomping on them during ‘Ops Patuh 2’ last Tuesday.
The head of enforcement Robert Ayu said it was an illegal hawker herself who threw her vegetables on the ground in anger and challenging the enforcement officers to take action against her.
“The opposition claimed they have videotaped the rough action of the enforcement officers. I say to them, produce this evidence. If not, I say the opposition has made a baseless, malicious claim against our enforcement officers. I demand that the opposition apologise within 24 hours because they have tarnished the professionalism of our enforcement officers,” said an angry Lai.
The mayor also shot down the opposition’s claim that the illegal hawkers were taken by surprise, saying ample time had been given to them to comply but they chose to ignore warnings.
The council had issued at least 120 written notices to these illegal workers prior to the ‘Ops Patuh 2’, said Lai.
He pointed out for more than a year the council had also advertised trading spaces at various markets in the city.
“Our records showed that even though there were vacancies these illegal hawkers chose not to apply but continue to trade illegally by the roadside and car parks, which may be strategic but dangerous,” Lai pointed out. Lai, who said the opposition was encouraging lawlessness in society by supporting the illegal hawkers, stressed that no one is above the law.
“If the opposition is really sincere they should help these illegal hawkers apply for trading licences,” said Lai. He said if he wanted popularity as a mayor he would not take action against the illegal hawkers but work to please everybody.
“We enforce the law without fear or favour. We don’t go around picking on the opposition hawkers and letting go Barisan Nasional hawkers,” he said.
Borneo Post by Lucas Jalong Bato
July 29, 2010, Thursday
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