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ANY amendment to a by-law will require state government approval, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon says.
He said this when asked whether Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was considering reviewing the Licensing of Dogs and Kennel Establishments By-Law 2007, which has been in force for more than 20 years.
“If the by-law is to be reviewed or amended, it must be brought to the state.
"MBPJ cannot revise it on its own.
"Any revision will apply across Selangor and involve all local authorities,” he elaborated.
He added that Selangor’s local council by-laws were standardised, and any review process would typically be coordinated at the state level, involving relevant agencies and all local councils.
Addressing claims that the Licensing of Dogs and Kennel Establishments By-Law 2007 contradicts provisions under the Strata Management Act, Mohamad Zahri said the Act allowed residents to keep pets provided they did not cause a nuisance and did not contravene any written law.
“In the case of dogs, there is a specific by-law governing their keeping.
“Under Section 8(2) of the by-law states that in high-rise buildings, pet dogs are only allowed in ground-floor units,” he pointed out.
The mayor said that while there might be views that the regulation could be improved, MBPJ would continue to enforce the existing by-law.
“As far as I am concerned, we follow the current by-law," Mohamad Zahri said at a press conference after the MBPJ full board meeting today (Jan 27).
"When these regulations were introduced, there must have been reasons behind them, including why they are restricted to ground-floor units only."
On Jan 23, former national hurdler Noraseela Khalid filed a lawsuit against the Selangor Government and MBPJ over the by-law that bans keeping dogs in high-rise condominium units.
Mohamad Zahri, the city council, would defer comments on the lawsuit.
He said the city council had referred the issue to its Legal Department.
“We will not comment for now because the matter is under court procedure. We also need to refer it to our legal department before making any statement,” he said.
