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By Mihar Dias 2025
On the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, a time for forgiveness and compassion, the actions of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) paint an ugly picture of enforcement gone wrong.
Videos circulating online show uniformed officers roughing up a balloon seller and clashing with unlicensed vendors, a scene more reminiscent of police brutality in the United States than the Malaysia we pride ourselves on.
What should have been a simple matter of regulation enforcement turned into an unnecessary show of force. Confiscating a struggling vendor’s goods in such a manner, particularly when the vendor resisted out of desperation, is cruel.
Was it truly necessary for uniformed personnel to engage in physical altercations with traders just trying to earn a living before the festive season?
This aggressive policing is neither Malaysian nor justifiable.
Yes, laws exist to regulate street vending, but enforcement should always be balanced with humanity. Unlicensed vendors do not materialise out of greed but out of economic necessity.
Instead of seizing goods and escalating tensions, a more compassionate approach—dialogue, designated spaces, or temporary permits—could have been taken.
After all, if the government can issue special approvals for large-scale businesses, why is it so difficult to accommodate small traders for a few days during peak festive sales?
UMNO Youth Chief Dr. Akmal Saleh’s call to support the balloon seller and take legal action against DBKL highlights a growing frustration with how authorities treat small traders.
His intervention, while politically charged, resonates with ordinary Malaysians who see this as yet another example of enforcement disproportionately targeting the weak.
DBKL must recognise that public perception matters. What message does it send when officers aggressively seize goods from vendors who are barely getting by?
That Malaysia is becoming a nation where the authorities prioritise rigid enforcement over empathy? That the little man must always submit while the big players enjoy loopholes and privileges?
This incident should serve as a wake-up call. Malaysians abhor the kind of police culture that leads to unnecessary aggression.
If DBKL wants public cooperation, it should start by treating the rakyat with dignity, not force.
(In the meantime, DBKL confirmed that a police report had been filed by the enforcement officers involved in the incident.DBKL has also initiated further investigations and taken statements from all enforcement officers involved in the incident.) https://newswav.com/A2503_a649Ib?s=A_yf3YUh2&language=en
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