Auto shop allowed to operate during MCO
Published on: Thursday, April 09, 2020
By: Sidney Skinner
Select spare parts shops can operate for reduced hours during the MCO to service City Hall vehicles like the ones in the pic.
Kota Kinabalu: CITY Hall has refuted a claim that an Inanam automobile shop has been operating illegally during the period of the movement control order (MCO), saying that the premises was permitted to open for a few hours daily to cater to the needs of the agency’s Engineering Department Workshop.A City Hall spokesman said the company was one of seven such spare parts shops around the State Capital which had received temporary permission to do so.
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“We depend on these businesses to maintain the vehicles at our workshop as many of these automobiles are needed to ensure the smooth running of the many essential services provided by City Hall,” he said.
“However, these premises are only allowed to open between 8am and 2pm.”
He said notices to this affect were given to the shop-operators in March.
“Each of these proprietors has been warned that this privilege could be forfeited at any time, if we find that they are misusing it for other purposes, including selling their products to the public.”
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One of these owners was reminded of this after a Manggatal resident claimed to have seen cars pulling up in front of his Inanam shop on and off for the past two weeks.
JOUYA said she had noticed people alighting from these vehicles and approaching the entrance to the premises.
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“They speak to someone through the half open shutters for the shop and then some sort exchange takes place, before they get back in their cars and drive off,” she said.
She said she had been on her way to work on several mornings, when these goings-on caught her attention.
“I thought shops like this were supposed to be closed during the MCO as they are not among those listed as providing essential services.
“I suspect that the owner might be operating on the quiet to slyly make a profit.”
Jouya claimed to have relayed her observations to the Police Department.
“When I phoned back a day later, I was told that the proprietor was authorised to open during the MCO and had shown the police officer who went to the premises the written permission he had received.”
The resident provided Hotline with the name of the shop which was forwarded to City Hall.
The spokesman for the agency said its staff inspected the premises shortly after it became aware of Jouya’s concerns.
He chalked up her observations to being a misunderstanding.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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