The Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) was today taken to task for not enforcing a court order on an illegal factory which led to villagers taking the law into their own hands. PRM vice-president Hassan Karim said in a statement today that Sun Sun Enterprise which was burned down by 50 villagers in Kangkar Tebrau last week, was ordered to cease operations by the courts in December 1999.

"This case has raised several issues that need to be addressed by the Johor state government.

"Firstly, why was the factory allowed to continue its operations despite being issued a court order to shut down? Is there corruption within the MBJB?" he asked.

Hassan added that the burning down of the factory by villagers revealed that MBJB was inefficient and careless.

Attributing it to the fact that the city mayor and MBJB members are appointed by the BN government and not the residents, Hassan added, "Such arbitrary appointments are undemocratic. The practice of BN all this time is to appoint their cronies and associates to take up positions in the town councils."

He proposed that the local authorities including the town councils nationwide be elected by the people through the general elections as was carried out during the early years of Independence.

13 detained

The Kangkar Tebrau villagers had lodged numerous complaints with the authorities on the air pollution caused by the metal recycling factory which affected hundreds of families in the area.

However, when no action was taken by the authorities concerned, the villagers burned down the back portion of the factory and two lorries last Tuesday.

Thirteen villagers aged between 18 and 48 years have been detained by police to assist in investigations.

Hassan said that PRM deputy president Abdul Razak Ahmad had visited the detainees at the Ulu Tiram police station and their families on Sunday.

"We will offer legal assistance if these villagers are charged in court," said Hassan.