The Penang domestic trade and consumer affairs committee will soon submit a proposal for a federal law to arrest and punish 'tontos' (lookouts) hired by those trading in pirated VCDs.

Committee chairperson and state executive councillor Lau Chiek Tuan said the proposal would be submitted through the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

He said current laws do not allow anti-piracy enforcement agencies to deal severely with tontos, who have been obstructing the state's efforts to wipe out trade in pirated VCDs, DVDs and CDs.

"The tonto phenomenon has been disrupting enforcement work for the last five years. (Ways to dealing with them are still) a grey area under the relevant statutes, including the Penal Code," Lau told malaysiakini .

"Current legislation is insufficient in helping the authorities to prove a prima facie case and to punish tontos. We urgently need a law to nab and punish tontos."

The decision to submit the proposal was made at the bi-monthly meeting of the revitalised State Special Anti-Piracy Task Force in Bukit Mertajam last week.

Those who attended included representatives of the committee, Immigration and Customs Departments, district offices, municipal councils, state enforcement unit of the Home Ministry, state legal advisor's office and the police.

Lack of evidence

Some 50 tontos virtually conduct round-the-clock stakeouts to watch and report every movement of enforcement officers, particularly those from the State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department, to traders.

Equipped with a cellular phone and a motorcycle each, tontos are hired to monitor and instantly report the department's operations. They are said to be rewarded with petrol allowance, a mobile phone and RM50 daily.

Those suspected to be tontos are spotted almost daily near Bangunan Tunku Syed Putra in Downing Street - where the department has an office - and outside the homes of senior enforcement officers.

Even though several tontos have been detained, remanded and charged with obstructing enforcement officers from carrying out their duties, all have walked free due to lack of evidence.

ATHI VEERANGGAN is malaysiakini 's Penang-based stringer.