“The balloon vendor pushed the officer first” – DBKL Says Warnings Were Given Twice Before They Took Action

Following Dr Akmal’s fiery statement, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall has since released an official statement regarding the viral physical dispute between its officers and the balloon vendor at Jalan TAR.

According to DBKL, the balloon vendor got physical first, prompting the officers to take stricter action.

DBKL assured the public that everything was done according to the SOPs before the dispute turned physical and said that during the raid on Friday night (March 28), DBKL officers noticed a number of unlicensed vendors hogging the pedestrian area, limiting the visitors’ movements, especially when the crowds were doing last-minute shopping for Raya.

“As per the usual SOP, DBKL officers would give a verbal warning before taking action. Other unlicensed vendors have run away at that time and as for the balloon vendor, he continued to run his business even after we had warned him twice.”

When the officers confronted him for a third warning, the balloon vendor was said to have turned aggressive and pushed one of the officers, prompting other officers to take action. Things took an awful turn when other vendors interfered, but fortunately, it didn’t take long for the situation to be under control.

DBKL also said that no injuries were reported during the incident.

In the meantime, DBKL also assured the public that investigations on the matter will be conducted while they review the existing SOPs. Additionally, the raids on unlicensed vendors will continue.

“Strict actions will be taken against unlicensed vendors and we will protect the public safety and make sure all rules are followed.”

What do you think of DBKL’s explanation?

Also read: DBKL Accused of Oppression After Raiding & Confiscating Ramadan Bazaar Stalls, Minister Responds