Stall demolished after court order

New Straits Times, Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Stall demolished after court order

AN illegal foodstall at Taman Kesang Baru in Parit Bunga Muar, was demolished by the Muar Municipal Council, recently.

Muar Municipal Council personnel demolishing the illegal stall. The council was acting on a Muar High Court Order it received on April 4.

About 30 municipal officers led by legal officer Mohd Hafiz Ismail tore down the stall in a three-hour operation beginning at l0am. Ten policemen were present to prevent any untoward incident. Hafiz said the council demolished the foodstall after it received a court order from Muar High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi. The court gave the council two months from April 14, to carry out the order.

He said the order was handed to the council by lawyer Pang Hok Liong on April 4. The High Court had ordered the stall to be demolished following a suit filed by the house owner beside the stall, Gwee Meng Kiyai. Pang said the illegal stall had been operating for more than three years and the council had failed to act despite repeated complaints from residents. He said this could be the first case in the country where a ratepayer engaged a lawyer to seek legal redress from a local authority. Pang said residents complained that the stall had polluted the area with flies and noise by operating into the wee hours of the morning.

Bentayan State Assemblyman, Gwee Tong Hiang who witnessed the demolition called on the council to build more hawkers' centres to relocate roadside stalls and those operating in housing estates.