Traders fighting with MPK officers did not have licence

KLANG: The two traders who were involved in a fight with a group of enforcement officers from the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) at a bazaar in Jalan Taiping here last Saturday had carried out their business without obtaining business licence from the local authority.
MPK president Datuk Mohamad Yasid Bidin said the two men were also found to have operated their business at an unauthorised place.
"Based on the MPK record, the last time the traders applied for a business licence at the bazaar was in 2014 and our investigations into the incident found that they have carried out their business without a licence.
"In fact, they are also not allowed to carry out their business at the bazaar in Jalan Taiping as the area is only for the sale of dry goods such as clothing, accessories and raya cookies. Only canned drinks are allowed to be sold at the bazaar but they were selling drinks in jars," he told reporters here today.
According to Mohamad Yasid, prior to the incident, MPK enforcers had warned the traders to stop operating to avoid enforcement action from being taken against them.
He said however, the traders ignored the warning and continued operating their business compelling the MPK enforcement officers to seize their business equipment.
"The dissatisfied traders tried to prevent the enforcement officers from carrying out their duties to the extent of causing a fight between them," he said adding that such an incident would not have taken place if the traders abided by the rules set by the MPK.
Mohamad Yasid said the traders could also apply for a licence to operate their business at other locations as the MPK had provided more than 1,300 business sites.
Yesterday, the North Klang police arrested the two traders, aged 18 and 41, at the Sungai Kapar Indah police station here after recording their statements at 5am. — Bernama