The Penang state government has issued a notice for illegal hawkers to be removed from several locations in the state beginning May 1.

Deputy Chief Minister (1) Mansor Othman announced today that the Penang and Seberang Perai municipal councils will remove hawkers operating around tourist and residential areas.

mee seller stall hawker 141006 He added that illegal structures that caused traffic jams and those which have received many complaints from the public would be torn down as well.

For hawker stalls on private land, a notice will be issued prior to their removal and this action will be taken after May 2, said Mansor.

"We arrived at this conclusion after a series of meetings on the matter," he told reporters at his office in Komtar.

 

"The state government views the problem of illegal hawkers very seriously though this has been made into an issue by irresponsible quarters," he added.

Mansor said the state has set up a committee to deal with the issue on a long-term basis.

Causing traffic woes

This committee will be chaired by himself, assisted by the state exco for local government and traffic management Chow Kon Yeow and senior officers from all district offices and local authorities.

It is estimated that Penang has 50,000-odd hawkers (both legal and illegal) which help makes the state a food haven for both local and foreign visitors.

melaka petrol price hike panic consumer traffic jam at petrol stations 050608 Previously, traffic de-congestion and management task force coordinator Ahmad Chik said the removal of illegal hawkers by the state should not be politicised.

Action had to be taken against them, he added, as their presence led to traffic woes.

"These inconsiderate people regard public roads as their private domain and their illegal activities has causes severe disruption to the lives of others, particularly the disabled," he told reporters in February.

Ahmad Chik, however, called on the state government to consult the affected hawkers before enforcing the law.