DAP man acts against graft rumour

WED, 04 AUG 2010 13:49

By Rahmah Ghazali (Free Malaysia Today)

SHAH ALAM: A Selangor state assemblyman has moved swiftly to quash a rumour that his aides have been extorting money from hawkers.

DAP’s Lau Weng San, the assemblyman for Kampung Tunku, said today that both of the aides had, under his instruction, lodged police reports asserting their innocence.

He said he warned them that they would be guilty of lodging false police reports if the allegation against them turned out to be true.

One of the aides, Dariff Din, stated in his report that the rumour mongers had been circulating text messages accusing him and his colleague, Ning Sang, of taking money from illegal hawkers in SS2, Damansura Utama, in return for business permits issued by the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council.

The messages allege that they are taking RM5 every month from each hawker.

“We are strongly denying the wild allegation,” said Dariff. “We have never done it. We do not even have the authority to give business permits to any party.”

Lau told reporters even he did not have the authority to issue business permits.

Besides, he added, SS2 was outside his jurisdiction. SS2 is within the state legislative constituency of Damasara Utama, whose assemblyman is Dr Cheah Wing Yin, also of the DAP.

Lau said: “I wish to clarify that SS2 does not fall under my area. And giving a legal permit is such a tedious process. Even I cannot do it. If I can’t do it, my assistants can’t do it too.

“That is why I directed them to lodge a police report to clear their names.”

Nevertheless, he added, citizens should exercise their right to report against any member of his staff or any DAP member if there was evidence of wrongdoing.

“Anybody who has any information or evidence of wrongdoing against my staff or any DAP member, by all means, please lodge a police report,” he said.