Getting rid of squatters, nabbing litter offenders, reducing street kids in KK

KOTA KINABALU: City Hall is hell-bent on getting rid of squatter colonies, nabbing litter offenders and reducing the number of street kids in the city.

Currently, City Hall has 200 officers assigned to various enforcement duties to monitor the situation, maintain cleanliness in the city.

City Hall enforcement director Assistant Commissioner Mukti Muchlish said when contacted by New Sabah Times yesterday that they are determined to achieve zero-squatter colonies in the city by 2010.

He said City Hall enforcement officers were instructed to conduct routine checks on identified squatter areas to prevent re-building of new squatter houses in identified squatter colonies.

Mukti said they had assigned 40 enforcement officers to conduct 24 hours operation against street kids.

“The 40 enforcement officers will be assisted by six policemen to detained street kids found loitering at various places in the city,” he said.

Since the operation was launched in March last year, some 1,800 street kids had been detained.

“The street kids aged between seven and 18-years were referred to the Immigration Department for further action,” said Mukti.

To a question, Mukti said majority of the street kids were foreign kids without valid travel documents, while a handful of local kids were apprehended in the ongoing blitz.

Mukti advised members of the public to refrain from littering, those caught would be compounded a maximum RM500 under Anti Litter By Laws Act 2005.

“My men will focus on crowded areas especially in places with illegal hawkers in Sinsuran, Kampung Air, Segama, Bandaran Berjaya and shopping malls,” he added.

Mukti said they collected more than RM19,000 from offenders caught littering in the first four months this year.

He said operations against shop owners suspected for breaching condition of licence, illegal structures and failing to renew trading licences was ongoing.

(New Sabah Times @ 21/5/2008)