Ilegal hotels take note
Story & pix by Danny Ooi
EXCO for Local Government, Traffic Management and Fllod Mitigation, Chow Kon Yeow said the
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) have identified 22 new unlicensed hotels on the island.
MBPP will clamp down on these hotel operators from Oct 5.
“For a start, we will haul up new illegal hotel operators, Chow said, adding that the next stage would
be against the old unlicensed hotels numbering about 29.
“The third and fourth stages, to begin in November, 2016, will be against operators who fail to submit
their building plans and those whose building plans had been rejected.
He added that hotels with temporary licences could renew their licences for another year.
“Hotels, motels and hostels with temporarily licences must submit their building plans by Oct 31 for
renewal of their licence at the old rate, failing which they have to pay triple,” Chow told a press
conference in Komtar on Oct 2.
He added that regulation was necessary as any untoward incidents at the unlicensed hotels could
jeopardise Penang’s position as an internation tourist attraction.
For 2104, the state government decided to issue temporarily licences in business areas at RM2,400
for hotels and RM1,200 for hostels and motels, to control the mushrooming of unlicensed hotels.
Meanwhile, MBPP’s building director Yew Tung Seang said hotel operators who flouted the rules
would be subjected to the Town and Country Planning Act, the Street, Drainage and Building Act and
also the Licensing Act.
Among those present was Seberang Prai Municipal Council’s president, Datuk Maimunah Mohd
Sharif.
Pix Caption:
Chow: Clampdown on unlicensed hotels from Oct 5.
Ends.