KUALA LUMPUR – Local authorities have never allowed non-citizens to apply for or own a business licence for retail shops, eateries, or premises in public markets, said the local government development minister.
Nga Kor Ming said public market site rentals and licences are only approved for Malaysians, while non-citizens working with public market tenants must have a valid work pass.
“(Local authorities) will not compromise on this and will revoke the licence of any local tenants found misusing it. In addition, enforcement operations are often carried out by (local authorities) to curb this issue,” he said when winding up the policy-level debate on Budget 2023 in Parliament today.
In a related development, Nga said any detention of non-citizens or undocumented migrants is under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department and police.
As such, he said his ministry agreed with the recommendations for strategic collaborations between several ministries to address people’s complaints effectively.
During the session, Nga also said his ministry supports the efforts and role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to intensify dog-adoption programmes and promote responsible pet ownership to curb pet dumping.
He also said the ministry had prepared standard operating procedures (SOPs) for catching and disposing of stray dogs, which has been adopted by all local authorities since 2014.
“The SOPs stipulate that the detention period for stray dogs caught is seven days for licenced dogs and two days for unlicensed dogs while waiting for the animal to be claimed by the owner or handed over to the public or an NGO for adoption programmes,” he said. – Bernama, March 8, 2023
