An NGO acting on behalf of four Johor vape traders has filed a lawsuit today against several government agencies for the raids conducted against vape traders.
Among others, the NGO Pertubuhan Ikatan Usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana Malaysia (Ikhlas) demanded RM1 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, and for the seized items to be returned.
Ikhlas is also seeking a court declaration that the raids and seizures conducted against its members are null and void, and that banning the sale of vape products through state-level enforcement actions are illegal.
The directors-general of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, the Johor Baru City Council, and the inspector-general of police, are the four named as defendants in the suit lodged at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Speaking to reporters outside the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex, Ikhlas president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah said the group is tired of 'certain civil servants' whom he claims to have acted rashly against the traders.
He said although the Johor Sultan has decreed that vape traders in the state should cease operations from Jan 1 next year, the authorities named in the suit have already conducted raids against the businesses.
“We are not going against the government today, but we want to teach a lesson to certain civil servants who acted rashly against the traders by confiscating vape products and so on […]
“The traders are prepared to move to another state, but why did they rashly go ahead with the confiscations? That means they are not abiding by the (Johor) sultan's decree,” he said.
[More to follow]
-Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.