A SPECIAL meeting will soon be held to address councillors’ concerns over being kept in the dark about a light show in Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya in Selangor.
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon said there would be a special session to discuss the matter.
The light show in Kelana Jaya came under scrutiny at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) full board meeting after councillors said they were unaware of its approval process.
“How was the approval given?
“There are safety concerns as the event is open to children and there is heavy use of lights,” said councillor Terrance Tan Teck Seng.
“Such an event involves entertainment tax, which will go into the state’s coffers. We need to know the details,” he added.
Councillor Ong Yew Thai suggested temporarily postponing the event while they studied the details.
Councillor Kusaaliny Mahendran said that while MBPJ should be business-friendly, safety aspects should not be overlooked.
“What if there is an accident?” she asked.
Councillor Yip Sean Yi said procedures for approving events must be adhered to ensure public safety.
“When department directors are asked about the project, their answers differ.
“When questions are raised, they go unanswered at meetings,” she said.
Mohamad Zahri said there was no need to postpone the event as it had been held in numerous locations nationwide.
“It takes the organiser a month to set up the lights, and the show runs for a month.
“All aspects, including safety, have been addressed. However, the councillors were not aware.
“MBPJ will have a special session next week for the event organiser to answer questions regarding the show,” he said after chairing the meeting held at MBPJ’s headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.
The light show will run until June 7.
On a separate matter, the mayor said MBPJ has resolved 78% of the 19,879 complaints received between January and March.
The highest number of complaints were on infrastructure maintenance, waste management issues, unlicensed businesses, public nuisance and development projects failing to comply with regulations.
Mohamad Zahri said MBPJ has adopted a data-driven approach by analysing complaints based on issue categories, geographic patterns, response time and recurring cases, to support more strategic planning and problem-solving.
“The analysis helps optimise resources and improve the planning of on-site operations.”
