SABAK BERNAM: Sabak Bernam District Council (MDSB) said the order to close down Datuk Jamal Md Yunos' resort in Sekinchan this morning came following the management's failure to produce building Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).
Its president Azlinda Azman said MDSB had issued a series of notices to the Sekin Fishermen Village Hotel and Resort, which had been in operation illegally, but were not heeded.
"Even after being advised multiple times against operating the hotel for safety reasons, and being issued compounds, the resort management continued their operation illegally.
"If something untoward were to happen there, we do not want to be held responsible due to their failure to abide by the laws.
"We do not have any problem to approve a licence to any parties who want to do business in Sabak Bernam, but they must follow the law and regulations," she told reporters after a hi-tea programme at Dewan Seri Bernam, here earlier today.
Azlinda said MDSB had also extended many assistance to the Sekin Fishermen Village Hotel and Resort, including on how to change the land status from agricultural to residential, and further steps to legalise their operation.
About 10am today, a team of MDSB enforcement officers went to Jamal's resort in Jalan Pantai Redang and issued a notice ordering for its closure.
Later in the afternoon, a team from the Sabak Bernam Land and District Office arrived at the resort and started to demolish 13 hotel rooms there using a backhoe.
Its officer Mohd Khairuddin Md Som said the demolision work was carried out as the structures were built illegally on state government's land.
"Besides demolishing the hotel rooms, we had also issued a notice, giving the resort owner 14 days to tear down two guardhouses and a sightseeing tower, and to cut utility supplies there.
"These actions were taken under Section 425 of the National Land Code 1965.
Jamal when contacted questioned the timing of the action by MDSB, and claimed that it was a politically motivated move by the PKR-led Selangor state government.
He said it was a retaliation of the state government against his bold criticism against the state government.
A day earlier, Jamal in his latest political stunt had turned up at the state secretariat building, clad only in towels to protest the water disruption that affected over 3.8 million users in Klang Valley.