Kedah ruling leaves operators fuming

Kedah ruling leaves operators fuming

ALOR STAR: Some 3,000 entertainment outlet operators here are crying foul over the Pas-led Kedah government's new ruling requiring them to pay the licensing fees for a full year.

 
 

 State Gerakan chairman Dr Cheah Soon Hai, who is also state assemblyman for Derga, said his service centre was deluged with complaints from the operators.

  He said the operators received the notice on Dec 4 last year.

 
 

The notice was signed by state financial officer Datuk Mohd Puat Mohd Ali and stated that the operators had to pay a year's fees on Jan 1 or they would not be allowed to operate.

 
 

  Previously, he said they paid monthly fees to the district offices, which gave them the option of closing the operation if business was slow for a particular month.

 
 

They did not have to pay for the month during which they did not operate.

 
 

 Dr Cheah said those operating snooker outlets were charged RM2,000 per snooker table per month. 

 
 

 "Under the new ruling, an operator with 10 snooker tables will have to fork out RM240,000 before he could operate.

 
 

  "This is a very huge sum since during some months, they often reduced the number of snooker tables or ceased operations."

 
 

  He said the previous practice was practical since some entertainment outlets observed shorter operating hours or remained closed  during certain religious occasions like the fasting month.

 
 

  "The new ruling was sprung on the operators without any warnings or discussions. 

 
 

"This is just like  when they told the operators to stop operating during the fasting month previously."

 
 

    Meanwhile, many operators said they had not settled the fees according to the new ruling.

 
 

 "It is simply outrageous and I have more than 10 snooker tables.

 
 

  "I don't have the money to pay about RM300,000 in one lump sum," said a snooker operator here who declined to be identified.

 
 

 State Local Government Committee chairman Phahrolrazi Zawawi when approached, confirmed the new ruling, but declined to comment.

 
 

  "I don't know the details since it was decided by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and the state financial officer."