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CITY HALL is cracking down on the presence of unlicensed stall operators in Luyang and Kepayan, with a total of seven hawkers in these areas being taken to task yesterday for contravening its Hawkers By-laws 1966 (Amendment 2008).

A food-seller on Lorong Cina at the former location had his belongings confiscated by the agency, while compounds were served to six others operating along a section of Jalan Rumah Sakit at the latter. 

This action was prompted by feedback about the jams which formed on both roads as a result of the illegal hawking activities taking place there.

A spokesman for City Hall’s Enforcement Department said five of its personnel and one of the agency’s trucks were deployed to the parking lots in front of the Luyang Commercial Centre in Hilltop, as well as the road-shoulder beside the Multistorey Carpark for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on Tuesday morning.

“Our team found food offerings and bottles of mineral water displayed on two tables which had been set up in one of the parking spaces bays at the Commercial Centre around 7.50am,” he said.

“Construction workers from a nearby development were crowded around the food-seller and his worker.”

He said the Enforcement immediately put a stop to this activity, loading the tables, two chairs and the rest of the hawker’s wares on to the truck.

“We came down hard on this vendor as he has been defying our instructions to stop running a stall until he obtains a licence from City Hall. A check of our records shows that the individual received a RM100 compound on January 17 and seven others between May and December last year.”

The spokesman said a similar inspection was made of the QEH less than half an hour later.

“Various items of food and drink were laid out on several tables on the verge beside the walkway to the Multistorey Carpark. Each of the owners of these wares was penalised in this instance.”

He said four other hawkers at the same location were separately compounded earlier this month, two on February 7 and another pair three days earlier.

He declined to specify the severity of the penalties incurred by the offenders on these occasions. 

“A compound of up to RM500 compound can be issued under City Hall’s Hawkers By-laws 1966. Any vendors, whose belongings have been confiscated, will have to settle a further penalty of RM300 in order to claim their property.”

He warned that legal action could be taken against repeat offenders, with a fine for as much as RM5,000 served to them if they were found guilty in court.

On February 3, the agency’s Enforcement Department threw the book at an illegal durian-seller in another part of Kepayan.

The spokesman said a seven-strong team went to Lorong Pusat Komersil 88/ 2 in this instance.

“Our officers dismantled the canvas stall set up on road-island here and removed the items underneath, including the baskets of fruits being sold at the time and foldable tables and chairs.”

He said the hawker’s belongings were loaded onto the back of the truck which accompanied the team.

“We resorted to this action as the stall operator had failed to heed our earlier warning to cease vending in this part of the Market 88 commercial property.

He said the individual had previously received a RM100 compound from City Hall for this misdemeanour.”