SHAH ALAM, Aug 25 — The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has established two special task forces to tackle persistent illegal trading around Pasar Borong Selayang and illegal dumping in Sungai Pusu.
The Star reported that MPS President Shahman Jalaludin said the task forces would operate until the end of the year, with both teams tasked with finding more permanent solutions to the problems at the respective locations.
The task force overseeing Pasar Borong Selayang will be headed by the MPS deputy president and comprise councillors as well as representatives from all departments.
“The first task force for Pasar Borong Selayang will be led by MPS’ deputy president, involving councillors and all departments.
“We want to rejuvenate and redevelop the area, while addressing public complaints about the presence of foreign traders,” he said after the full board meeting at Bangunan Lama MPS in Bandar Baru Selayang.
Shahman added that repeated enforcement actions have done little to stop the illegal traders from returning to the area.
“We seize their goods whenever we find them, but by the afternoon, they are back again. So, we are trying to close off the areas where they conduct business and change those places into something else.
“MPS’ hopes that when there is no space for them to trade, they will no longer be there,” he said.
Shahman noted that many of the traders operated along pedestrian walkways and beneath trees instead of from designated business premises.
As the area is located near the Kuala Lumpur boundary, MPS will also coordinate with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to address the issue.
Cooperation between the local authority and the federal capital’s city hall is important as traders could shift across the administrative boundary if enforcement was carried out by only one authority.
They will also work together on improvement measures covering landscaping, infrastructure, and road conditions in the area.
MPS had previously attempted measures such as setting up static enforcement posts, but these had failed to provide a long-term solution.
“We have tried that approach before, but when the static presence is removed, they return. For 30 years, this has been among numerous approaches taken, but the problem still occurs whenever there is space and opportunity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the second task force headed by an MPS assistant secretary will focus on illegal dumping in Kampung Sungai Pusu, an area that has continued to receive complaints.
“Hopefully by the end of the year, we will achieve the results we want from setting up these two task forces,” Shahman said.
In a separate development, MPS is intensifying monitoring of business licence holders suspected of allowing other individuals, including foreigners, to operate businesses under their licences.
“Normally, we will give one or two compounds or notices. If we find the same situation for a third time, then we will revoke their licence,” he said.
The council recognised that many of the licence holders operating from stalls owned by the council were petty traders.
Nevertheless, Shahman said that they will continue to check whether registered licence holders are actually present at their business premises, especially where businesses are being run by non-citizens.
