Kuching: DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak Committee member Sylvester Lim Kai Bin has called on the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to take proactive measures in addressing the long-standing issue of illegal moneylending advertisements, rather than citing manpower constraints as an excuse.
Lim’s remarks come in response to MBKS Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng’s recent statement, which highlights that the council’s jurisdiction covers 61.53 square kilometers, with only 40 enforcement officers responsible for various duties.
In essence, he is saying MBKS’s enforcement officers are overworked, making it unfair and inaccurate to suggest they are not doing their jobs.
However, Lim questioned why, despite MBKS’s previous claims of actively removing illegal moneylending stickers, the same advertisements at Lorong Stutong 11B3 have remained untouched for over a year.
“If MBKS genuinely lacks manpower, then be proactive. The council can easily instruct its maintenance contractors, who are already engaged to clean and maintain public infrastructure, to remove these illegal advertisements as part of their regular duties,” he said in a statement.
Lim pointed out that in the past, Mayor Wee had asked members of the public to remove the stickers themselves.
“If the public can be asked to help, why can’t MBKS’ own contractors – who make their rounds monthly – do the same?” he questioned.
He suggested a straightforward system in which contractors could document the removal process by taking photos of the affected locations and reporting the details to MBKS enforcement officers.
“These officers could then lodge police reports, ensuring the cases are correctly recorded and that follow-up action can be taken by the relevant authorities, including the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“The issue here is not the lack of resources, but the lack of will and creativity to act,” Lim stressed.
“Instead of hiding behind the excuse of having only 40 enforcement officers, MBKS should start thinking outside the box.”
