KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Wong King Yii has called on the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) to take stronger action against illegal moneylender advertisements, saying that simply tearing down banners is not an effective solution.
Wong said MPP’s response to public concerns was disappointing, particularly after a councillor dismissed the issue as a ‘political stunt’. He argued that such remarks downplay a serious problem and risk discouraging residents from speaking up.
“MPP claims that while illegal moneylending activities do not fall under its jurisdiction, it continues to carry out regular operations to remove these advertisements. Yet the fact remains the banners keep reappearing. This proves the current approach is inadequate. Removing posters only treats the symptoms but does not create any real deterrence,” he said.
He pointed out that Section 22 of the Local Authorities (Cleanliness) By Law 1999 empowers councils to not only remove illegal posters and banners but also prosecute offenders. The law provides for fines of up to RM1,500 for a first offence and up to RM3,000 or nine months in jail for repeat offenders.
Wong said the law has been applied before, citing the case in 2023 where the former DAPSY Kuching chief was charged for placing stickers with Chinese characters on road signs. He questioned why the same standard has not been applied to illegal moneylender advertisements, many of which openly display company names and phone numbers.
“If MPP is serious about keeping Padawan clean and liveable, it must go beyond routine clean ups. It must prosecute offenders and hold repeat violators accountable. Only then will there be real deterrence,” he said.
By Connie Chieng