Kuala lumpur: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has been instructed to immediately address weaknesses in its standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly to close 'grey areas' that could create opportunities for corruption, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), Hannah Yeoh. She emphasized the urgency of rectifying these issues to ensure transparency in licence applications and enforcement actions.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a review by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) identified several weaknesses in DBKL's SOPs, highlighting the need for urgent improvements. The review found unclear SOPs and "grey areas" that may facilitate corrupt practices. Yeoh stated, 'Usually when there are unclear SOPs or grey areas, that opens the door for corruption. when there are good suggestions for improvement to close a grey area, we will implement them quickly.'

Reports had emerged pointing to weak and "outdated" management and monitoring of DBKL contracts, including the awarding of business licences. Allegations included the absence of a monitoring committee for high-value and long-term contracts and concerns over a prominent company appointed to oversee DBKL business licences.

Yeoh stressed the importance of accelerating improvements to SOPs, ensuring that the public understands the procedures for licence applications and the enforcement actions to be taken. She expressed the need for clarity, stating, 'All of that will be black and white, completely clear, so there is no room for different interpretations.'

Furthermore, Yeoh emphasized the role of the public in preventing corruption, urging them not to engage in bribery. 'Members of the public must not be involved in giving bribes. you cannot, on one hand, accuse the officers; on the other hand, you feed the officers, so this must stop,' she urged.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud, present at the press conference, discussed planned improvements, including clearer SOPs for licence termination and revocation, particularly concerning the management of Ramadan bazaar sites. He noted that past decisions lacked clear SOPs and were made collectively by committees.

'For the 2026 Ramadan Bazaar, we have set SOPs, and we will start forming a committee before the bazaar begins operations. The committee will meet every two days, and possibly more frequently if there are many violations, including closures, fines, compounds and so on,' he explained.