No funfairs for Shah Alam

The Star
Saturday August 2, 2008

No funfairs for Shah Alam

By SALINA KHALID at the MBSA full board meeting

THE city of Shah Alam, already without cinemas, night clubs or pubs, has shut the door on another form of entertainment — funfair.
That was the conclusion drawn by the councillors during the full board meeting held at Wisma MBSA on Thursday.

The councillors have unanimously rejected the application from Green City Enterprise to operate a funfair at the Stadium Shah Alam parking area.

The company had submitted an application to operate the funfair throughout this month.
Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Md Noor said the decision might set new a precedent when it came to approving funfairs in the city.
“Previously, we give approval for such applications at the department level.
“This is the first time we have brought the case to a full board for approval as we want to find out the councillors’ acceptance for such events,” he said.

Councillor Norhalim Sirome said such activity was not needed in the city as it had gaming elements.

However, he stressed that the public should understand it clearly that they did not reject all types of entertainment.
“We want to make it clear that we do not reject all type of entertainment, especially when it is educational.
“But this one is purely entertainment and may bring more bad than good,” he said.

However, councillor Ang Leng Kiat had asked the others to look at the other side of the issue.
“We do not have any entertainment in the city and it does seem boring for some people.
“What we should do is control it not ban it,” he said.

The councillors have also questioned the move to allow the company to keep its equipment at the stadium’s premises before the council’s full board.

The company, which previously operated a similar activity in Bukit Jalil, has already placed all of its equipment at the stadium parking area.

The council’s stadium management unit head, Jamsari Khamin, said a permit was given to the company to place the equipment at the premises, while pending approval for the activity from the council.

The company had also agreed to remove everything from the premises if its application for the funfair was rejected.