Elected representatives should lead by example by following rules and regulations

YB Dr. Wong Sai Hou is the MCA Selangor State Assemblyman for Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya and also one of the senior councilors in Petaling Jaya City Hall or Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ).

Being a State Assemblyman cum senior councilor in Petaling Jaya, he is expected to lead by example by at least following all the rules and regulations set by MBPJ.

One would be shocked to learn the other way round, that banners to publicize activities organized by the State Assemblyman cum Councilor are without permission from MBPJ, meaning that the councilor violates the very own rules and regulations of the City Hall that he is sitting in.

Wong Sai Hou held an activity to distribute scholarships to needy students in DUN Kampung Tunku on 19th May 2007 in SJKC Sungai Way auditorium.

Banners to publicize the activities are up in various popular spots in Kampung Tunku state constituency. However, on close examination on the banners, one can easily discover that the banners are up without any permission, license or even knowledge of MBPJ, as any banner approved by MBPJ should carry a sticker to be stuck on the banner. Failing so, MBPJ enforcement unit will have all the rights to pull down the banner.

As can be examined from “Legal sticker-01.jpeg”, we can notice that the sticker carries information on the account number of the banner’s owner, start date and due date for the banner. That will also mean that any overdue banner will also be pulled down by the City Hall.

However, this is not the same case for Wong Sai Hou’s banners, which was spotted in at least six spots in Kampung Tunku (namely Section 21, Section 20, SJKC Sungai Way, morning market of SS9A, SS1 and his own service centre in SS3).


None of these banners carries any stickers from the City Hall and none of these banners are pulled down even the event was already over since four days ago.

One may argue that this could due to the bureaucrats in MBPJ.

I have made personal visit to the City Hall’s Services Management Department (Licensing Division) on this matter and was shocked to notice that not only the payment to apply for banner permit are surprisingly affordable (the sticker cost RM2 per banner, total processing fees for one banner will normally be lest than RM50 depending on the size of the banner and the display duration), but the number of days taken to process the application was surprising short – maximum five working days – this is even if the City Hall raises questions on the banners.

Be it as it may, the question of whether the City Hall could deliver such effective and business-friendly environment is another question, as there is certainly no reason for a State Assemblyman cum Councilor to fail to lead by example by following rules and regulations set by his own City Hall! More so when the requirements to obtain a license are not as bureaucratic as one thinks about.

In addition to that, it was also reported to the DAP that MCA MP for PJ Selatan and Deputy Tourism Minister, YB Donald Lim Siang Chai’s Chinese New Year banner displayed on an overhead bridge in Jalan Semangat is also an illegal banner (as shown in the picture: DLCS S4-05.jpeg) and it has been there since Chinese New Year with no action taken by the City Hall to take down the long overdue banner.

Meanwhile, it is also questionable of whether the City Hall is practicing double standard on monitoring outdoor banner in Petaling Jaya.

DAP Damansara Branch Chairman Tony Pua has a banner outside his branch’s premise in 55-M Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama 47400 Petaling Jaya (see photo: TNP SS21.jpeg) and he was slapped with a City Hall summon for hanging up unlicensed banner. This summon is highly arguable as YB Dr Wong Sai Hou also put up similar banner outside his service centre (as shown in the picture: WSH SS3.jpeg). The summon issued by MBPJ is highly arguable as MBPJ mainly regulate banners and buntings displayed in public places, not those displayed in private premises.

Has Wong Sai Hou been slapped with similar summon? If not, is it because that Wong Sai Hou is an MCA State Assemblyman and a senior City Hall councilor that the City Hall does not take any action against him?

It is certain that both MBPJ and Wong Sai Hou have to come clear on this as we do not hope to witness another pathetic Zakaria episode in Petaling Jaya. If a councilor cum State Assemblyman fails to follow simple rules and regulations of the local council, what moral authority does the government has to demand the rakyat to follow suit?