MPS disabled councillor in action

Thursday September 11, 2008

MPS issues warning to billboard owners

By OH ING YEEN

OWNERS of expired billboards and banners are urged to pay up quick or the billboards will be taken down, said Selayang Muni-cipal Council (MPS) councillor Gurdip Kaur.

“They should have the approval of the council before putting up the banners and billboards. This is a form of illegal advertisement,” said Gurdip.

“I have noticed the problem of illegal banners and billboards since I lived in Rawang nine years ago but there was nothing I could do then. Now, as a councillor, I’m able to do my duty and take down the illegal advertisements,” said the Zone 16 councillor.

Tear them down: Enforcement officers dismantling illegal billboards and banners along Jalan Kuala Garing while Gurdip (second from left) looks on.

She said safety was another reason for taking down the banners and billboards.

“Five days ago, a driver almost got into an accident when a poster that was blown off by strong winds landed on his car ,” she said.

More than 10 MPS enforcement officers took down illegal banners and billboards starting from the ones in Jalan Kuala Garing, Rawang. They will be continuing the operation to rid Selayang of illegal banners and billboards.

MPS assistant enforcement officer C. Paramasivam said that this was the first large-scale operation carried out to tear down illegal banners and billboards.

“Normally the owners of illegal banners will be issued a RM500 summons but many have been there for too long.

“Some of the billboards we took down have been there for six months since the licences expired while some owners only paid during the first time they applied for the licence and did not renew it. They have breached Section 5 of the MPS advertising by-law for advertising without licence,” said Paramasivam, who is also the MPS Rawang 1 zone chief.

MPS assistant enforcement officer Megat Ainul Fadzlil said that they normally conducted these operations five to six times a year.

“The billboard or banner owners will be given a three-day deadline after they were issued a notice to renew their licences.

“However, things are slow during the fasting month as we are more focused on checking the Ramadan bazaar licences,” he said, adding that approved banners and billboards would have the MPS sticker.

Gurdip, who is in the tourism, finance and traffic subcommittees in the council, also plans to tackle issues such as potholes, lack of street lights as well as ramps for the disabled.

“After the petrol hike, the trains are packed and it is difficult for the disabled to get into them. I’m also looking into quotations for bubble lifts,” said the secretary of the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC).