THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will begin issuing temporary licences to unlicensed car repair workshops as part of a three-year legalisation programme starting September.
Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the move, approved during the council’s Special Public Health Committee Meeting on Aug 18, is aimed at regularising workshops currently operating without permits within MBPP’s jurisdiction.
“Applications will be open from September 1 to December 31, 2025, but only for premises already listed in the council’s records of unlicensed workshops.
“Each application will be assessed, and successful premises will be granted licences renewable annually until 2028.
“Enforcement action will resume once the three-year period ends, with no extensions for illegal workshops to operate,” he said after the council meeting today.
Rajendran pointed out there are a total of 335 workshops operating without licences while 83 have been licensed.
He added the workshop operators are also required to submit building plans during the application period while licences will only be issued after approval of the plans.
The annual licence fees have been set at RM3,000 for premises smaller than 2,500 square feet and RM5,000 for those above 2,501 square feet.
Rajendran said the initiative would help bring unlicensed workshops under regulation, while ensuring better compliance from the operators.
Penang Motor Vehicles Workshop Owners Association president S.C. Lee thanked the council for mooting the initiative.
“This will allow an opportunity for the unlicensed car workshops to legalise themselves,” he said.
Also present was state Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye.
On a separate matter, the MBPP has reinforced its commitment to elderly welfare with the establishment of a dedicated call centre in Air Itam to assist senior citizens in accessing healthcare and mobility services.
Councillor Visvenathan Tangavello said the centre will coordinate free car services to hospitals and extend monitoring support to elderly residents staying alone.
“Regular welfare visits will also be arranged to be carried out,” he said, adding that 53% of council’s housing units are occupied by senior citizens.
Meanwhile, councillor Koay Gaik Kee said MBPP is stepping up its efforts to transform George Town to a child-friendly city under the Child Friendly Cities Initiative, in collaboration with UNICEF.
“This is in line with the Penang2030 vision and aims to uphold the rights of children,” she said.
Koay, who chairs the council’s School Area Congestion Sub-Committee, stressed that traffic safety in front of schools remains a priority as well to safeguard children’s safety.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Alissala Thian