Lim Lip Eng

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End of happy hours for two pubs in TTDI Posted: 16 May 2011 02:33 AM PDT Confiscated: DBKL personnel loading tables and chairs from 42East into a truck. Forced entry: DBKL contractors opening the shutters of 42East in Jalan Rahim Kajai 14 while DBKL officers hold back owner Simpson (left, partially hidden). Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro (By TAN KARR WEI, 16/5/2011) Tempers flared when Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Customs officers raided two pubs in Jalan Rahim Kajai 14 in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Despite protests from 42East owner Trevor Neil Simpson, 44, the officers broke the lock and entered the premises and confiscated items like chairs, tables, sound systems, flat screen TVs and beer kegs. They did the same at another pub down the road. While a DBKL officer said that they had sent notices to the operators to close their business, Simpson insisted that he did not receive any. He then asked for a copy of the notice or any document from the officers but the officers said they did not have any with them. "They also said that I need an entertainment licence but we do not have any live bands or performances and only play piped-in music," he said. A furious Simpson said he had applied for a temporary licence in November last year and had been renewing it every month. "We were told by DBKL that within a week, the planning department, health department, Fire and Rescue Department and Royal Malaysian Customs Department would visit our shop but only the planning department came and they gave us the approval," he said, adding that they were waiting for their permit before they could apply for an alcohol licence. In January, they were told that their permit would not be approved and were told to appeal the decision. "We sent an appeal letter on Jan 26 but did not receive any reply from the DBKL," he said. Meanwhile, Simpson said their temporary licence was renewed every month but the DBKL came out with a new ruling on Jan 29 that no pubs were allowed in Jalan Rahim Kajai 14. His wife Angela Thexeira said they had used their life savings to open the restaurant and the ruling was made after they had started their business. "We spent RM200,000 on renovations. If they had told us from the start that we would not be able to operate the business, we would not have wasted our money," she said. A Customs Department officer present during the raid said the outlet did not have a liquor licence while a DBKL officer said there have been complaints from residents across the street about noise from the pubs. According to a statement issued by the DBKL corporate communications unit, the two bars were raided in accordance with the Entertainment Act 1993 (Section 4) because they did not have a valid business licence. The same outlet was also raided in January this year but the owners had continued to operate their business. When contacted, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said he was puzzled over DBKL's actions. "A year ago, there were complaints from a few residents living across the street but DBKL had replied to me that the complaints were without basis because only cafe and restaurant licences were approved along Jalan Rahim Kajai 14. No pub licences were given out. "DBKL had also said that upon investigation, patrons there were found to be orderly and that only slow music was being played," he said. He said he did not understand why DBKL had enforced the ruling to disallow pubs from operating in the area.

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