Sarawak DAP supports the proposal made by the Padawan district police chief Supt Aidil Bolhassan that the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) should work closely with the police by helping in the verification of licences issued to operators and to eradicate illegal gambling activities in areas under its jurisdiction.

However, we are disappointed by the feedback given by the MPP chairperson/Batu Kitang state assemblyperson Lo Khere Chiang that MPP has only seven enforcement officers to look after about 400,000 people and 60,000 properties in an area of about 800 square kilometres under MPP.

Is Lo trying to run away by giving such lame excuses or he has no idea how to solve the issue of lack of enforcement officers in MPP?

Does MPP only have seven enforcement officers? I don’t think so. About two years ago when ‘chairman Lo’ blocked off the road at Jalan Liu Shang Bang, 7th Mile Bazaar against the protest of the businessmen in the area, we saw more than seven MPP officers.

I have the following four questions for ‘chairman Lo’ in respect of the illegal gambling that is rampant in the MPP jurisdiction:

1. Why is there a need for the Padawan district police chief to openly urge MPP to work closely with the police to fight illegal gambling in Padawan area? Were there incidents of MPP being not cooperative with the police on this matter?

2. Why is it that illegal gambling outlets are so rampant in MPP’s area but not so in Kuching South City Council (MBKS) or Kuching North City Council (DBKU) areas?

3. Can ‘chairman Lo’ show the public the detailed breakdown of all MPP employees to prove his claim that MPP has only seven enforcement officers?

4. Why is it that, since the amendment of the Local Authorities Ordinance in 2013 giving the local councils more power to tackle illegal gambling outlets, illegal gambling outlets in MPP areas did not seem to have reduced?

It seems that ‘chairman Lo’ is always complaining about insufficient fund and resources to carry out his duty as the chairperson of MPP. Amongst the issues that the MPP and ‘chairman Lo’ have performed far short of people’s expectation are the hawker issue, traffic jam issue, drain and road maintenance issue, street-lighting issue and now even illegal gambling outlet issue.

The people pay taxes and assessment rates and the salary of ‘chairman Lo’ as MPP council chief and do not want to listen to his excuses for his non-performance.

Since he has fallen far short of the people’s expectations and can only keep giving excuses for such poor performance, to be fair to the ratepayers, ‘chairman Lo’ should resign his post as the MPP chairperson.

ABDUL AZIZ ISA MARINDO is special assistant to the Sarawak DAP chairperson and Petra Jaya DAP Socialist Youth publicity secretary.