PADANG TERAP: THE state government is thinking about reviewing the State Entertainment and Entertainment Premises 1997 Enactment.
State Housing, Local Government, Water Supply and Water Resources Committee chairman Badrul Hisham Hashim said the proposed amendment included transferring licensing approval of the entertainment outlets from district officers to local councils.
He said this would enable the state government to streamline the procedures for the approval process.
“It is only in Kedah that district officers have the power to issue licences to entertainment outlets. In other states, the matter has been transferred to local councils,” he said.
“The decision to review the enactment was made at a recent meeting of state executive councillors. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir has appointed a committee to study the amendment proposal.”
He said the amendment would also include stricter enforcement against errant operators, especially those who operated beyond the permitted hours.
He said the authorities would carry out enforcement activities at the premises periodically, instead of seasonally.
Recently, the state police contingent embarked on a massive crackdown of cyber cafes and gaming outlets which operate into the wee hours and host illegal gaming activities.
The raids were conducted following complaints that the outlets, some illegal, were operating past midnight and had allowed underaged youngsters to enter their premises.
He said the amendment would be comprehensive because the authorities wanted to have better control of the outlets.
“We are also reviewing the classification of business types as we have found that some of the premises are abusing their business licences and operating as fronts for illegal activities,” said Badrul, who is also Kuala Nerang assemblyman, at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at his service centre on Tuesday.
He said the state government viewed the abuse of entertainment licences as a serious offence as it had become a source of social ills.
Badrul stressed that the state government would not tolerate errant entertainment outlet operators.
He said government servants caught protecting the culprits would be punished.
-NST
