THE Public Health, Housing and Local Government Ministry should look into the high advertisement licence fees imposed under the Second Schedule of the Local Authorities (Advertisements) By-Laws, 2012 (“the Advertisement by law”).
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong claimed the fees are currently the highest in the nation whereby for a 21 sq m advertisement in Malaya costs only RM400 whereas in Sarawak, the fees chargeable is RM2,070.
On top of that, she said, Sarawak also imposes a security deposit of RM5,000 per advertisement to be paid while there is no such requirement elsewhere.
“Lately, a group of disgruntled businessmen had approached me for assistance after the local councils of Padawan and Serian issued them notices for failing to comply with the Advertisement By-Law.
“Over the years after the passing of the Advertisement By-Law, the business sector has kept voicing out to the authority concerned that the imposed fees are too expensive, unreasonable and thus has since called for a review of it,” she said when debating the 2024 State Budget in the state legislative assembly (DUN) today.
Yong said advertisement billboards do play an important role in the tourism industry as can be seen in Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan, where the advertisement billboards have become their landmark to attract tourists.
As such, she said, the state government through the councils and district councils must not set the licence fees too high as it will burden the businesses.
On another matter, she said, the state government must put in serious efforts to increase rice production to meet the state’s growing food demand and be self-sufficient as the state’s self-sufficiency rate for rice has shrunk to 34 per cent.
“For me, with Sarawak going into paddy cultivation to ensure self-sufficieny is a welcoming move, however, we must ensure there is the necessary infrastructure and technology that are suitable for the soil and situation here.
“With our 2.8 million population and rice being our staple food, Sarawak really needs to look far ahead to make rice cultivation a success and ensure that we can eventually export rice to other countries in future,” she said.
Yong also suggested that Sarawak seriously consider getting in Japanese technology for paddy cultivation as Japan has a successful advanced technology and it worked well from the past till now.
“If we go back to history during the Second World War, paddy growing in Sarawak was introduced by the Japanese using their technology. A book ‘Masa Jepun’ by Bob Reece pointed out that paddy growing in Lingga, Gran Stumbin, Tanjung Bijak was started during the Japanese Occupation in Sarawak,” she said.
