KUCHING: The State Police Commissioner has been urged to cancel all Notifications and/or Traffic Summonses issued to the public at Jalan Stadium Kuching in Petra Jaya during the Malaysia Open 2017 badminton competition between 4 and 9 April, 2017.
Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen said it was not every year that such international event was organised in Kuching, especially for badminton, a sport loved by so many people.
Chong said the tournament was an international event and the government should be proud that many members of the public were so supportive of the national team to fill the stadium to the brim.
“The police should not take advantage of such event to issue summonses knowing that due to the insufficient carparks, people are bound to park their cars at the side of the roads,” he pointed out at a press conference held at DAP Sarawak headquarters here, yesterday.
Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP chairman and Kota Sentosa State Assemblyman referred specifically to the notification issued on a vehicle parked by a member of the public near the State Stadium at Jalan Stadium, Kuching on 7 April.
The vehicle is registered under Bong Mui Thian and at the material time, it was used by her son, Lim Tze Wei, 24, who parked the vehicle on the grass verge at the road side near the stadium.
Chong said Tze Wei had to park the vehicle there because the carparks around the Stadium were full and the only few vacant carparks were reserved for VIPs.
“Like the others, Tse Wei was there to support our national shuttlers in the Malaysia Open 2017,” said Chong.
He said it was not his fault that he parked his vehicle at the spot as there was simply too many people and insufficient parking space in the area.
“Furthermore, the alleged offence in the notification is ‘Halangan Lalulintas’ (Traffic Obstruction), which I think is the wrong reason for the summons because the vehicle was parked on the grass verge and did not pose as an obstruction to the traffic. The summons is wrong and ought to be cancelled,” he said.
“Therefore, on behalf of Tze Wei and his mother, I appeal to the Commissioner of Police to exercise his discretion to cancel the notification and not to penalise them for parking the vehicle at the spot. After all, Tze Wei was there as a patriot supporting our national team in an international event,” he said.
Chong said the tournament was an international event and the government should be proud that there were so many people supporting the national team, but because of insufficient parking space, they were forced to park by the road side.
“I don’t think it is proper or appropriate or reasonable for the police to take the opportunity to issue summonses against those vehicle owners. We should be proud, the government should feel proud that this was a show of patriotism and they should not be rewarded with traffic summonses,” said Chong.
He said the organiser could have made special arrangements to inform the public to park their cars at certain areas or provide shuttle service so that people would not have to drive to the stadium where there was insufficient parking space.
