He could be fined RM1,000 or jailed for six months if he does not do so in 30 days.
On 30 July 2021, a businessman named Kenneth shared his experience on Instagram, saying that he has received a letter from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), asking him to repaint or renovate his entire building.
“I was surprised by a present given by the DBKL,” he said. He then showed the content of the letter issued by DBKL, which states: “An investigation has been done and it was found that your premise’s paint is faded and dirty. With this notice given, please wash, repaint or renovate the front, side and back of your premise with high-quality paint.”
If he does not do so in 30 days, he will be charged under Section 75, Local Government Act 1976. “So I could be fined RM1,000 or be in prison for six months for not repainting my building. To those of you in DBKL, you guys really so free ah?” he added.
He then explained that his building is located in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur and it is a very old building. “The character lies within the fact that the building is not perfect and a little old, because that is where we get the feel of Chinatown,” he stated. Truly, some buildings that are old and a little run down give us really different and nostalgic vibes.
Kenneth also mentioned that due to the lockdown, he is unsure if he could find a contractor to do so even if he wanted to.
“Businesses are currently suffering, and DBKL you are so free to give all these summonses, you don’t have better things to do?” he asked. He added his business is currently closed and not making any revenue.
Besides, he is also concerned that even if he found a contractor to do the renovation work, they may be summoned by authorities for violating other SOPs.
“This is a just a really funny thing I encountered, so I thought I would share with you guys to have a good laugh about it, about how our government is prioritising what is important currently,” he said. Additionally, he is looking for staff that work in DBKL to help him solve the problem.
In this current situation where most businesses are not earning much, issuing something ridiculous like such really adds pressure to the people. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section!