“Do not take matters into your own hands” - that is Hannah Yeoh’s advice when dealing with foreigners suspected of operating illegal businesses.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) warned that enforcement in such cases should be left to the relevant authorities.
“My advice to Malaysians is not to take action themselves because that would be against the law,” she said.
Yeoh, speaking at a press conference following an event on upgrading works at SK Taman Sri Sinar in Segambut yesterday (Oct 19), said enforcement involving foreigners required several agencies to work together.
“When it comes to foreigners, there has to be an integrated operation involving the Immigration Department, Welfare Department and police,” she said.
“We have to make sure the proper agencies come in to carry out their responsibilities,” she said, responding to questions about members of the public confronting foreigners suspected of operating unlicensed businesses.
In September, a news portal reported that a group of local men confronted and questioned a foreigner who was allegedly selling perfume without a licence in Bukit Bintang.
The exchange became heated, with the trader telling the men they were not government enforcement officers.
Yeoh said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) could not act alone in all cases as its powers were limited to the laws under its jurisdiction.
She said DBKL had also been told to tighten checks on business licences.
“I have asked for enforcement on licences to be stepped up in Kuala Lumpur – especially in areas where we know many foreigners are living– to ensure that licences issued are actually used by the applicants themselves,” she said, adding that anyone found letting foreigners trade under their licence will face revocation and blacklisting.
“I have also raised at Cabinet level the need to step up these integrated operations,” she said.
Separately, she said provision had been made in next year’s budget to expand the use of body cameras among DBKL enforcement personnel to improve transparency during operations.
