Liu promises action against abusive and corrupt officers - The Star

May 7, 2008

HAWKERS and traders in Selangor have been urged to provide information to the state government if they have evidence of abusive and corrupted council enforcement officers.

According to Selangor local government, research and study committee chairman Ronnie Liu, there may be some enforcement officers who are high-handed in their dealings with the business people.

“If hawkers or traders are bullied by enforcement officers, please let me know and I will deal with them.

“I cannot deny that there are enforcement officers who are abusive and corrupt, but not many victims have come forward to give us the evidence,” he said.

Liu said this at the 53rd anniversary dinner of the Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Associations of Malaysia in Klang on Monday night.

More than 1,000 people attended the function.

Liu said before he was elected as an assemblyman and made an executive councillor, he had received many complaints from hawkers and traders that enforcement officers were giving them a hard time.

“We understand the plight of the traders and, as a new responsible government, we want to get rid of the unhealthy practices.

“Please give us time to resolve the situation,” he said.

Liu also apologised to the hawkers and traders who had been ill-treated by enforcement personnel.

He said while the state government was doing its part to eliminate corruption, the traders and hawkers should also do their part and adhere to the rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Associations of Malaysia president Datuk Ghai Soo Ming urged the hawkers and petty traders to look for ways to survive the current inflationary situation instead of just passing on the cost to consumers.

“The prices of the main ingredients such as rice and noodles are going up and up and everyone is facing great pressure from the effects of inflation.

“Hawkers and traders should not just keep increasing prices because of the rising costs although a slight increase is unavoidable.

“The high prices will only force the consumers to spend less, which mean lesser sales and profits for traders,” he said.

Ghai also said they hoped the problems facing the traders, especially when dealing with enforcement officers, could be resolved fast by the new Pakatan Rakyat state government.

“Many are penalised unjustly, which affects their rice bowls,” he said.