MIRI: Miri City Council (MCC) will crack down on foreigners hawking illegally here and in Kuala Baram under Ops Patuh 9.
Foreigners have been found to be trading illegally at the Kuala Baram Industrial Zone during weekends.
MCC chairman for city services and revenue KPI enforcement Councillor Julaihi Mohamad said the council’s enforcement team has conducted investigations and found foreigners trading illegally along with locals.
“We will launch a special operation dubbed Ops Patuh 9 jointly with the Immigration (Department) and police to curb the increasing number of foreign hawkers,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Julaihi said the enforcement team has been directed to prepare guidelines to conduct a joint operation soon.
On local unlicensed traders, he said personally he felt there should be venues for them to trade legally.
Currently MCC only has limited areas but is working with the Land and Survey Department to find an amicable solution.
He pointed out that MCC has relocated unlicensed traders to Senadin, Centrepoint, Morsjaya and in front of the Lutong police station.
“Some of these venues until today are operational and generating income for the petty traders,” he said.
Julaihi said MCC will move unlicensed hawkers operating near the mosque in Permyjaya as the council has proposed a new site behind the shoplots there.
“These illegal traders are first asked to move to the new venue and if they still don’t want to move, only then action will be taken,” he added.