Cover image via Facebook
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Malaysians have banded together to help a 90-year-old grandmother after she was fined for operating a stall selling homegrown vegetables without a licence
The issue was first raised by a member of the public on Facebook, who said he met the nonagenarian at Kampung Abdullah Segamat in Segamat, Johor on 23 January.
He claimed that he witnessed the woman being fined by an enforcement officer from the Segamat Municipal Council (MPS).
When he attempted to intervene and ask for leniency, the officer reportedly insisted on upholding the law.
"After paying the fine, she was also told she must apply for a vegetable sales licence.
"The licence fee is several hundred ringgit. For an elderly woman of her age who sells only a few types of vegetables in small quantities, this fee is neither realistic nor affordable.
"This means she may have to stop selling vegetables altogether, losing her only source of income," the man said.
He concluded the post by expressing sympathy for the grandmother and appealing to the public for guidance and support to safeguard her livelihood.
The elderly woman sitting by her stall as a municipal council officer issues a fine.
Image via FacebookAt the time of writing, the post has garnered over 1,600 likes
MCA Segamat Youth chief Tay Kok Wea said that upon learning of the incident, he instructed a colleague to go to the scene to pay the RM50 fine.
"It wasn't for show. I couldn't bear to see an elderly woman, who earns her living with her own hands, forced into despair by a mere fine," Tay said in a statement yesterday, 25 January.
He said he had spoken to the city council's enforcement unit and confirmed that no further fines will be issued to the woman.
"She can continue selling vegetables with peace of mind.
"Regarding the licence issue, the woman only sells vegetables four times a month, and the current [licence] fee is indeed too heavy.
"I will raise this matter at a meeting to push for a 'symbolic fee'. If the proposal is approved, I will cover all related costs thereafter," said Tay.
