Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) went on a raiding operation yesterday, cracking down on businesses operated out of Bangsar residential homes illegally.
50 officers from DBKL’s Seputeh branch office, enforcement urban planning, building and legal department raided 15 such businesses, among them a pet shop and grooming centre, a Montessori kindergarten, and a solar panel showroom.
The DBKL officers were accompanied by three officers from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) and two police officers.
“Checks were conducted yesterday after complaints from the residents association in Bangsar Baru. We identified several defiant premises that ignored our previous notices,” said Amran Muhammad of DBKL’s urban planning department, who led the raid.
Residents in the Bangsar Baru area have been complaining about the storefronts since 2005, as they caused traffic congestion and raised safety issues, The Malay Mail Online‘s Ushar Daniele reports.
Bangsar Baru Residents’ Association (BBRA) secretary Prem Kumar Nair felt that while the raid was a welcome development on DBKL’s part, not enough direct actio was taken against the offenders.
“Many of these premises are in a deplorable state, unhygienic and some are even operating without licences. City Hall should have the authority to seal off these premises immediately instead of only slapping them with a compound fine.”
