THE men in blue from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) are up to the task of ensuring the public adhere to laws and regulations.
This week, we take a look into a rather prominent department that helps keep the city in order — the Enforcement Department.
Aside from enforcing the law, they also aim to drive the public to be law-abiding citizens to ensure a safe, comfortable and harmonious environment to live in.
Enforcement Department
The department is helmed by director Mohd Sauffi Muhamad, who is involved mostly in planning and coordinating the team to perform its daily tasks as well as special operations.
Mohd Sauffi said the department went by the aspiration that respecting the law is everyone's responsibility.
"Our department follows closely the laws and by-laws and we hope that all citizens will follow suit," he said, adding that the officers would have no qualms about taking action against those who break the law.
The department's history dates back to 1969 where a demolition squad was created to demolish squatter houses in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1970, the Capital Commission appointed 48 former soldiers and policemen to form the enforcement team to handle the new squatters as well as issue summonses to illegal traders.
When Kuala Lumpur was declared a city in 1974, the enforcement department was initially parked under the management department.
Currently, the department is divided into five sections — the enforcement section that is split into zones, traffic and special task force, safety and secretariat, logistics and assets, as well as the administrative section.
Each section has its own units that oversee the responsibilities given to them.
Their scope of duties include traffic offences, public obstructions, illegal structures, vandalism as well as offences involving PPR flats, public areas and parks.
"We also have a first responder team that is on standby round-the-clock and will take action when there is an emergency.
"It can be a minor natural disaster such as the landslide along Jalan Mahameru, flash floods, rescue operations or emergencies such as the Highland Tower tragedy and the Genting bus accident.
"The team was established in 1992 by the then mayor Tan Sri Elyas Omar, where the officers were equipped with first-aid skills as they were required to do search and rescue operations as well as scuba diving," he said.
The officers' daily operations include routine checks on traffic, public walkways as well as patrolling for parks and public areas.
"We do organise raids and other operations, which are usually divided into three categories.
"There are operations organised solely by DBKL, joint operations with other departments within DBKL as well as joint operations with other government agencies.
"While other departments have their own enforcement teams such as the Urban Design and Building Department as well as Health and Environment Department, we will assist whenever possible and execute responsibility that is within our jurisdiction.
"We have the authority to issue summonses if we find anyone going against the law and we can conduct physical action towards offenders.
"For example, we can confiscate or remove illegal items and structures or even arrest people such as illegal car jockeys and bring them to court
"From January to August, we have issued 22,745 notices on general offences and 784,786 traffic offences. This shows that a lot of people are not aware of the laws and bylaws," he said.
Engaging the public
The department is not only about enforcing the laws but also tasked with educating the public.
Mohd Sauffi said the department had a squad of enforcement officers going around several areas in Kuala Lumpur to advise shopowners and the public about the do's and don'ts stated in the by-laws
"The team has 15 officers currently and they go around Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Bukit Bintang to engage the public and advise those who break the law.
"For example, the officers will advise shopowners not to place tables on the walkway. All these actions will be recorded for future reference.
"You will be surprised that there are a lot of business operators who are unclear about the by-laws," he said.
That aside, DBKL also provides traffic and safety assistance to residents staying in PPR flats for special functions.
"We help the community in public housing for this when they apply for it.
"These are some of the services we do for the public," he said.
On the challenges they face, Mohd Sauffi said enforcement officers faced quite a lot of resistance from the public.
"There are times when the officers get scolded by the public but we have to maintain our composure and execute our duties," he said.
Moving forward, the enforcement department plans to expand their team of cycling enforcement officers.
"We are getting 40 more bicycles for the team. Currently, the cycling enforcement officers are tasked with patrolling the parks.
"That aside, we are also planning to engage schools and educate the students through seminars, talks and exhibitions about our scope of authority in Kuala Lumpur.
"We will have our own facilitators for this and plan to carry this out next year," he added.
Source : http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/10/04/Ensuring-order-in-the-city-DBKLs-Enforcement-Department-aims-to-drive-the-public-to-be-lawabiding/
