"Enough is enough. It is time for the BDA to take action now. The BDA has been very lenient all this time by allowing shop owners to place their wares one or two feet outside their shops along the five-foot ways but none of them were grateful to BDA for the leniency. Now they have gone too far, as several of the recalcitrant shop owners have begun placing their wares outside their shops, blocking the public from walking the five-foot way," he said

Tiong said the BDA had oral notices numerous times to the shop owners and the authority had also briefed the Bintulu Chinese Chambers of Commerce over the problem, as their trading licenses clearly stated that they ware prohibited from putting or exhibiting their wares on the five-foot way. 

However, they continued to ignore the notices. Action need to be taken 
against them as they have not abserved the regulations in the by-laws,” he said. He said the BDA should take action against several shop-owners who flouted the by-laws by blocking the pathway on the first floor with grills or cemented  partitions. 

"The BDA will treat both cases the same by strictly exercising and strictly enforcing the by-laws," he said, adding that he understood that some legal implications would have to be sorted out first by the authority before the BDA could take action including demolishing the illegal extension and partitions along the pathway.

Tiong was commenting on a Sin Chew Jit Poh press report on May 19, which he described as malicious in a deliberate attempt to smear the BDA. Sin Chew had gone on the extent of publishing an unsigned poison-pen letter dated May 14, criticizing the BDA for practicing double standards and for not carrying its responsibilities as a local authorities as a local authority with fairness and impartiality. 

"The BDA has been lenient enough by allowing shop owners to put their 
wares along the five-foot way earlier on.  But obviously, they have taken 
things for granted.  They were given leeway but now they are occupying the whole five-foot way with their wares," he said.

Tiong said the BDA ahd been doing its best to promote Bintulu as a clean, healthy and prosperous town but this effort seemed futile if there was no co-operation from the public especially from shop owners in Bintulu.

"Earlier on, I had appealed to BDA to be lenient to the shop owners by allowing them to occupy one foot to two feet of the five-foot way.  In return, 
the BDA has shown good gesture by being lenient to the shop owners as to create business atmosphere and to provide convenience for the shop owners who often complainted of not having enough space to put their wares."

"But it seems now these shop owner have taken the advantage of the kindness and good gesture shown by the BDA.  By right, the BDA's  enforcement unit could take drastic action by seizing the goods as they had violated the trading license.  In fact, they were first advised and then issued summonses and were given two weeks' period to pay but that too they chose to ignore," he said.

He urged shop owners to give co-operation to BDA by removing their wares from the five-foot way immediately, as they were creating inconveniences to the public who complained that the five-foot way was blocked by the stacked wares.

Tiong also described the suggestion that "Bintulu would look like a dead town " and the effort to promote tourism here would seem fruitless as mere nonsense and he contended that it did not mean by failing to stack the wares outside the confines of their shop would not attract tourists to Bintulu.

"In fact, shops which organize and arrange their wares systematically will be more attractive to tourists patronizing their premises than those who stacked their wares outside their shops.  If they really want to attract tourists to Bintulu or promoting interesting touristic places in Bintulu and not stacking their wares hapharzardly. ”

"I totally agree that we must uphold the concept of a clean, healthy and prosperous township.  But we need to change the mentality of the shop 
owners who seem to believe that their business will be at risk and will not 
look attractive if their wares are stacked along the five-foot way," he said.

He said it was not true to say that five-foot ways free from  "object" would 
lack the essence would not be lost if their business wares were kept within the confines of the shops.

He also urged tyre and car accessories shops not to block parking bays at the front and back of their shops to allow ample space for the public to use the area and they should not block these parking bays for their self-interests, if the situation warrants.

On cleanliness and lightings at the five-foot way, Tiong said the tenants of the shops were equally responsible to ensure that the five-foot way were clean and lighted.  "It is the responsibility of the shop owners to maintain the cleanliness of the area although they are rate payers," he said.

Tiong also blamed the writer of the news report for distorting the story and blowing the whole issue out of proportion and thus causing unnecessary and potential feuds between the shop owners and the BDA.

"This press report is indeed unfair, biased, not objective and contained a lot of false information.  It is uncalled for the reporter not to get the views of the public on the issue as well and the writer has done great injustice to BDA, as he did not give space for the authority to defend itself ."

"Furthermore, how could the editors run the story when it is only an opinion 
by a single individual unsigned poison-pen letter and not opinions from the masses.  They should not blow up this small issue out of proportion, as if they are only interested in selling the newspaper without considering the truth of the story," he said.

Tiong said he was well aware of the problem ever since the situation started as he had approached the BDA when he started receiving the alleged complaints on the authority from the public.

"Then I investigated and started talking to the people and the BDA, I began to understand the whole situation.  The BDA has been very lenient to the shop owners who did not even realize the leniency was given to them by the authority while some agreed that their neighbors had gone overboard by almost blocking the whole passegeway. "

"And now, we have so-called self-righteous reporter and editors who thought that they were giving great service to the community when they were in fact blowing up small issues out of proportions.  They like to make speculation and help to spread wild rumors as if the BDA is inefficient and uncooperative, " he said.

On a lighter  note, Tiong said there were rumours circulating in Bintulu that these "things"  were occurring just because he was no longer in the Barisan Nasional government.  

"Let me put the record straight, whether I am not in a party or not, it does not matter.  I fully support the BN government and I support the rules and regulations imposed by the government whether the shop owners like it or not, " he added.

Meanwhile, Tiong said the MP's People Service Centre at Parkcity Commercial Square here is still in operation as usual even after he was expelled from the SNAP.

He also advised members of public should seek for proper channels  to resolve any dispute and discontentment. 

For those who seek for MP's assistant, they are welcome to dial at 086-312979 or Fax: 086-313979 to the service center or H/P: 013-8380566 to contact his special assistant Cikgu Teo Ho Peng...END.