SMC investigating allegations of enforcement personnel threatening hawker with termination of licence

Albert Tiang

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council’s (SMC) Hawkers Selection Committee will investigate an allegation of enforcement personnel threatening a hawker with termination of licence for wanting to reclaim his missing ducks, said Councillor Albert Tiang.

Tiang said that the council had received the hawker’s complaints, claiming that three boxes containing live chicken and ducks had been impounded, but later found that some ducks were missing after he reclaimed the impounded goods.

“The hawker had live poultry at his stall, and claimed that he had bought them from someone. His goods were impounded and when he went to reclaim the impounded goods the next day, he found some ducks missing.

“This hawker has claimed that he was threatened with termination of licence by the enforcement personnel if he wanted to reclaim his ‘missing ducks’.

“We are carrying out investigation and getting down to the bottom of this matter,” he said.

Tiang said that the goods had been impounded as the sale of live poultry is strictly off-limits in the council’s markets ever since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced.

To settle the dispute, Tiang said the independent committee headed by Councillor Siaw Sing Tong has called for both the hawker and the enforcement personnel concerned to be present at a meeting later this afternoon.

“We want to hear from both sides to iron out this dispute. Rest assured, if it is the enforcement personnel’s fault, we will report the matter to the council for appropriate disciplinary action to be meted out.

“But if it is a wild or baseless accusation from the hawker, we will act sternly against this individual,” said Tiang, who is SMC Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee chairman, when asked on feedback from members of the public.

Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Tiang opined the enforcement personnel concerned would not want to risk his career by indulging in such action, adding that such incident had never happened.

 

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