PJ mayor denies being rude to residents group

Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon has denied being rude to a group of residents and activists, after a video surfaced showing him shushing the group.

He said he was only asking the group to remove the two banners they had laid on the street and to lower their voices, before discussing their concerns.

“One person said I was being rude for shushing them, but I said, as a mayor, I need them to remove the banner before we discuss their issue,” Zahri (above) told reporters after attending a council meeting today.

Earlier, the Pangsapuri Taman Petaling Utama Parking Action Committee had placed banners outside the council building to demand solutions to parking and bus services problems faced by residents.

They were also accompanied by activists from Parti Sosialis Malaysia, whose Petaling Jaya chapter posted a video of their exchange with the mayor on X and claimed to have waited for more than three hours to meet him.

The video showed the group approaching the mayor and asking to speak to him as soon as he arrived at the council building, but the mayor repeatedly shushed the group and told them to “close” the banners.

Speaking to reporters, Zahri explained that his delay was due to prior engagements with Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and another community programme.

Despite being informed of his schedule, he said the group had insisted on waiting.

“My officer told me that they arrived at 9.30am, and even though they knew I was with Amirudin, they still insisted on waiting and meeting me,” he said.

He eventually met with four representatives from the group and agreed to a follow-up meeting.

‘Approach us properly’

Zahri also emphasised the importance of proper communication and expressed openness to discussion and resolution if approached respectfully.

“I gave them my officer’s number. We will set an appointment for them, and we can talk.

“It is unfair to us when they come like this. If they approached us properly, we would be open to discussion and solving things,” Zahri added.