City Hall says Street Dakwah booth blocked walkway, insists enforcement followed laws and by-laws.

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has defended its enforcement action against a “Street Dakwah” booth in Bukit Bintang, saying the operation was carried out in accordance with existing laws after officers detected a violation involving obstruction of a public pedestrian walkway.

In a statement today, DBKL said the action on Feb 17 at Jalan Bukit Bintang, in front of Bangunan Yayasan Selangor, followed field monitoring which found a tent had been set up on a public footpath.

“DBKL enforcement officers went to the location to obtain clarification from the parties involved regarding the installation of the tent on the public pedestrian walkway.

“However, after waiting for more than 30 minutes, no representative from the party concerned appeared to provide cooperation or explanation to DBKL officers.

DBKL then took action to dismantle the tent and remove the related items for storage in accordance with the relevant laws and by-laws,” the city hall clarified.

The city authority stressed that all enforcement actions were conducted professionally and based on legal provisions, and were necessary to safeguard public safety, urban order and the smooth use of public spaces.

It also clarified that the agency does not prohibit dakwah activities in public areas, but such activities must comply with procedures set by the local authority.

“The pedestrian walkway is a public area that must remain free of obstruction to ensure the safety and smooth movement of the public,” it said.

The statement came after the incident involving the Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) “Street Dakwah” booth gained traction on social media.

In a Facebook post on Feb 17, MRM founder Firdaus Wong Wai Hung questioned the enforcement action, saying the group had conducted its Street Dakwah activities at the Bukit Bintang location for about 14 years without being required to obtain a permit.

He claimed the programme was non-commercial and did not obstruct pedestrian movement, adding that the group had previously sought clarification and was informed that no licence was necessary under those conditions.

Firdaus also expressed surprise over the operation, noting that similar activities had been held at the same spot the previous week without issue, and alleged that only the MRM booth and materials were targeted during the enforcement.

DBKL said it plans to hold a meeting with MRM in the near future to discuss a long-term solution and to prevent similar situations from recurring.

The episode later drew political attention, with PAS Youth urging DBKL to provide a full explanation over what it described as enforcement that must be fair and consistent.

This morning, PAS Youth’s dakwah and Islamic defence bureau chief Mohamed Sukri Omar said the deployment of multiple officers against what he described as a volunteer-run dakwah booth had raised questions over proportionality, enforcement priorities and administrative fairness.

He also called on DBKL and the Federal Territories authorities to clarify the policy governing the use of public walkways and to open dialogue with the organisers to resolve the matter constructively.

 The Sun Malaysia