By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 27: KUCHING, Aug 27: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has strongly refuted claims that it has been inactive in tackling illegal moneylender advertisements, stressing that its enforcement teams conduct daily operations to remove posters and stickers across the city.
Responding to remarks by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak member Michael Kong, MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said it is misleading to single out the council or the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) as if they had failed in their duties.
“MBKS enforcement work is not occasional or only when highlighted publicly. Removing illegal advertisements has long been part of our daily duty and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP),” he said in a statement today.
To support its claim, MBKS released photographs taken on Aug 21, 2025 before Kong’s statement was made, showing enforcement officers actively removing illegal moneylender posters and stickers.
“Our enforcement work has been ongoing, consistent, and proactive,” he stressed.
He explained that MBKS has been exercising its legal mandate under the Local Authorities (Advertisements) By-Laws 2012, which stipulates that displaying illegal advertisements is an offence. By-Law 28 provides for fines of up to RM5,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, with additional penalties for continuing offences.
However, Wee underscored that enforcement against such syndicates cannot rest on local councils alone.
“Operators behind these advertisements are organised, mobile, and often operate beyond council boundaries. Effective eradication requires collective efforts from the police, local councils, and other enforcement agencies.
“It is counterproductive to attack those who have been working tirelessly on the ground. To simply pinpoint MBKS and MPP as ‘inactive’ is unjust and raises the question of whether such criticism is truly aimed at solving the problem—or merely at scoring political points,” he said.
Wee reaffirmed MBKS’ commitment to safeguarding public spaces and protecting Kuching residents from the harm of illegal moneylending activities.
“The reality is, our teams have been doing their part daily, quietly and diligently, without seeking publicity. We welcome collaboration with all parties—including elected representatives—because this issue is best addressed when everyone works together in good faith, not by undermining one another,” he concluded. — DayakDaily
