Negeri sembilan: The Negeri Sembilan state government has decided to waive hawkers licence fees, including for food truck operators, for a period of one year starting January 1, 2027, as a measure to ease the burden on small traders, said Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim. He stated that this is expected to benefit 7,386 hawkers based on this year's records, involving 3,684 hawkers under the Seremban City Council, Port Dickson Municipal Council (1,355), Jempol Municipal Council (459), Tampin District Council (639), Kuala Pilah District Council (610), Rembau District Council (478), and Jelebu District Council (161).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, although this poses a significant financial implication for the local authorities (PBT), the opportunity is being given to hawkers due to the rising cost of fuel and other factors. Hawker licence rates vary by local authority; for example, it is RM150 in Kuala Pilah and RM180 in Tampin, he told a press conference after chairing the state executive council (Exco) meeting.
However, he added that the waiver only covers hawkers licence fees, while other payments, such as cleanliness charges, must still be settled as usual. Furthermore, hawkers must comply with all conditions and regulations set by the local authorities, including not obstructing traffic or walkways, and ensuring the cleanliness of their business areas. "Even though it is free, it does not mean we ignore the rules. Regulations must be followed, and enforcement action will still be taken if they violate them," he said.
In a related development, Ismail announced that the state government has also decided to suspend the phased implementation of conservation fees for entry into the state's Taman Eko Rimba (Eco-Forest Parks), effective immediately starting today. He explained that the decision was made because the state is still observing the Visit Negeri Sembilan Year, and also in consideration of public complaints regarding the implementation of the additional fees. Although children are exempted from the fee, they come accompanied by parents who are charged an additional RM3. Therefore, the suspension is immediate until further notice.
The state government had previously set a fee rate of RM3 for citizens and RM6 for non-citizens, while children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (OKU) were granted exemptions effective today, with the first phase involving the Ulu Bendul Eco-Forest Park and the Lenggeng Eco-Forest Park.
Meanwhile, Ismail shared that the Menteri Besar's Office sent a notice of demand for the balance of allocations to all former Pakatan Harapan (PH) State Legislative Assemblymen (ADUN) from the previous term yesterday evening. Each of these former assemblymen received different demand amounts based on the unspent balances that have yet to be settled, with a 30-day period given to make repayments to the state government.
Recently, Ismail requested all former PH Negeri Sembilan ADUNs, as well as the coordinators for the Paroi and Labu state constituencies from the previous term, to return the allocations they received from July to September within a month, following the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly on June 5. He clarified, however, that former Exco members at the time - including former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun - still held ex officio status until July 31 and were entitled to use the allocations for that month. On August 27, Ismail said that only Aminuddin had returned the entirety of the allocation he received, while some PH assemblymen have yet to do so in full.