This happened while he was at the Magistrate’s Court for a mention of his case. He and his partner have been charged with obstructing the duties of a public officer.
Both men had pleaded not guilty to the charge on May 5 and posted bail of RM7,000 each.
One of the accused, Mohammad Haziq Ammar Mohd Hussain, 28, took to Facebook today claiming that the Penang Island City Council had come to his house off Jalan Tanjung Tokong and “robbed him” of his wares worth RM32,100.
In a police report, which was also published in the same FB post, he claimed the council took six different portable stoves on wheels, which were stowed at the back of his house.
Haziq and his business partner operate a grilled seafood shop outside their home by the roadside. The council had previously declared the joint to be illegal.
Haziq said the council men arrived at 9.19am without any notice.
“You think the youth of Tanjung Tokong are not brave enough to fight off robbers? Not all council members are bad but just the enforcement officers.
“Please take note, I only took your lorry and handed it to the police station, not like you guys,” he said in his post.
It is learnt that the business had been going on as usual by the roadside, despite the case.
Haziq posted videos from his CCTV camera of the incident which showed enforcement officers loading tables, chairs and other kitchen appliances into a lorry.
More than a dozen enforcement officers were seen alighting from the lorry.
On May 4, Haziq and Abdul Muhaimin Mohd Hassan, 34, made away with the council’s enforcement lorry after officers raided their stall.
The duo drove the lorry to a nearby police station and recorded the entire act on video.
In the clip, the two men claimed the city council officers were rude and did not give early notice before coming to seize their items.
They also claimed the council only acted against Malay traders while those of other races were allowed to do business undisturbed.
They said the city council had failed to approve their business despite several applications.
They had been issued five notices by the city council before that, the first on April 29 last year. These notices were issued under the council’s Hawkers By-Law 1979 for operating without a licence.
Their tables and chairs had been seized once before. This is because it is illegal to place obstructions in a public place under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.
The council also denied claims of enforcement bias towards Malays. It issued statistics showing that in the first four months of 2017, businesses owned by the Chinese were the most hit by enforcement, followed by those owned by Malays and Indians.
Meanwhile, Penang Island City Council enforcement director Azman Sirun said the items seized were found in a public area, hence the council had the right to seize them.
“The enforcement action is a follow-up action against the unlicensed hawker who had been issued many notices before.
“Leaving items in a public area or side road is illegal under Section 46 of the Street, Drainage Building Act 1974 and the council’s Hawkers By-Law 1979,” he said.
Food stall owners charged over Penang council lorry ‘hijack’