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| Dr Sim (seated, fourth left) and members of associations and representatives of local councils in a photo-call after the meeting. |
Contemplating an amendment to by-laws that are apparently peculiar, Dr Sim said the local council by-laws should be ‘people-friendly’.
Short of saying the law on business name signboards requiring an advertisement licence is absurd, Dr Sim said the law would be amended to provide clarity when the time comes.
“DBKU has assured us that business name signboards installed before 2012 are exempted from the 2012 by-law. But for those who did it after 2012, we would then have to see how to implement charges on the more than 1,000 shops in the DBKU area. From dialogues we hope to get comprehensive feedback and a reasonable solution at the end of it.
“Please don’t listen to rumours on how we are going to charge businessmen who installed business name signboards and on rumours that DBKU is not being people-centric or not sensitive to people during this time of economic difficulties,” he said.
Requesting people to be fair on DBKU, Dr Sim said the commission was in a dilemma because the by-law has been passed and therefore they have to enforce it or be questioned by the auditor-general.
To another question, he said only him in his capacity as minister can decide when to implement a similar by-law in areas other than DBKU.
Sim, however, said he would continue to hold dialogues with several associations over the issue until a reasonable solution is found for the good of all or in case the by-law is amended in the future.
Dr Sim was responding to grouses of members of eight associations who said shopkeepers in the jurisdiction of Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) had received notices under the City of Kuching North (Advertisements) By Laws 2012 requiring them to apply for advertisement licence for their business name signboards.
According to By-law 4: “No person shall erect or exhibit or cause to be erected or exhibited within the area under the jurisdiction of any local authority any advertisement other than those exempted under by-law 26, without a licence issued by the local authority under by-law 7.”
The associations said most business signboards in the DBKU area contain only the shopkeepers’ own business names and logos with the sole purpose of assisting customers to locate their business premises.
They said these were not intended for advertisement purposes. They even argued that a signboard which carries only the shopkeeper’s own business name and logo should be distinguishable from the case where a signboard consists of brand name or logo that belongs to another company, which can be said to possess an element of advertisement.
Their bone of contention intensified upon common knowledge that there is no requirement for shopkeepers who operate under the jurisdiction other than DBKU to apply for such licence and this has caused confusion among the business owners here, if not in the state as a whole.
Yesterday, members of eight associations met Dr Sim at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here to talk about the matter. Representatives from all local councils here were also present.
The eight associations were Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions; Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Federation of Kuching Division Community Associations; Kuching City Centre Association; Kuching India Street Merchants Association and; Kuching Old Market Community Association as well as associations linked to coffee shop operators and signboard makers.
DBKU, Dr Sim added, came under the purview of the Chief Minister’s Office while the rest, under his ministry.
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