Iskandar Puteri City councillors lodge a formal complaint at the council’s headquarters in Johor Baru May 26, 2019. — Bernama pic

JOHOR BARU, May 26 — Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) councillors are giving Mayor Datuk Adib Azhari Daud until this Aidilfitri to explain allegations of power abuse over the Taman Nusantara Ramadan Bazaar, near Gelang Patah, licencing issue.

Councillors representative, Mohd Azam Mektar, who is also a councillor of Gelang Patah Zone 9, said Adib's move to overturn the decision of the MBIP Licensing Committee meeting, which he (Adib) chaired himself on April 18, is seen as an act of sabotage against MBIP councillors and the state government.

Mohd Azam went on to explain that in that April 18 Licensing Committee meeting, a decision was made to approve 100 Ramadan bazaar lots at the Jalan Nusaria 4/7 carpark in Taman Nusantara, a decision which was later endorsed on April 28.

“This particular area was a replacement to the original suggested area in Jalan 2/1, which drew protests from shop traders in the vicinity on the grounds that the bazaar activity would disrupt their business,” he said after the MBIP full board meeting, here today.

“However, MBIP's Licensing Department rejected the early applications from 47 traders to participate in the bazaar because the mayor wanted to amend the organising rights,” he added.

Following this, councillors from the affected zone took the initiative to discuss the matter with the mayor, who agreed to grant only 30 licences, despite the 100 agreed earlier in the April 18 licensing committee meeting.

Mohd Azam said councillors also received public complaints of a Ramadan bazaar operating without permits and licences on Jalan 2/1, which is the site of the earlier proposed site that later was shelved due to protests shopkeepers there.

He said the councillors are raising these allegations (abuse of power) because the mayor had failed to provide a proper explanation over the matter, which he added could be detrimental to his (mayor) credibility, and secondly to ensure these sort of situations do not recur. — Bernama