During his second luncheon with the media, Mayor Dato’ Zamri bin Man touched on the state government’s ongoing efforts to make Ipoh a clean, green and vibrant city.
Attended by over 100 media representatives, the affable mayor greeted everyone personally upon his arrival. He took time to introduce the newly-appointed councillors to the guests.
Held at Casuarina@Meru on Tuesday, March 21, the joyous occasion saw the distribution of the much-anticipated Council parking stickers to members of the media. The sumptuous buffet lunch was accompanied by a live band singing Malay and Cantonese classic hits.
Besides partaking in the karaoke session, some guests walked away with prizes in the lucky draw. They were mainly home appliances from Panasonic, Samsung and Pensonic.
Present were Ipoh City Council Secretary, Mohamad Zakuan Hj Zakaria, Perak Media Sports and Welfare Club President, Wan Asrudi bin Wan Hasan, city councillors, media bureau chiefs and council staff.
The mayor, in his welcoming speech, touched on matters affecting the city. The presence of beggars at traffic light junctions, especially on weekends, is worrying. Some have the audacity to knock on car windows to beg. Some are also believed to be outsiders.
“We discussed this during meetings with the police and welfare department to call for immediate and drastic action. We believe the beggars are from a small syndicate who takes advantage of motorists’ generosity. They usually appear on weekends as the city is filled with people. They make use of their physical disabilities for good effect. Some double as parking touts preying on unsuspecting motorists. A few bring along minors to appear more pathetic. Some beggars also crawl on the road and thus pose a danger to motorists,” he explained.
“Some move from one traffic light to another. I saw one guy at the Medan Kidd traffic light and later saw him again in Old Town. They prefer tourist spots such as Old Town,” he added.
