PUTRAJAYA, April 6 — The government will not issue permits or special licences to individuals offering unofficial photography services, or photo touts, in popular tourist areas of the capital due to safety concerns, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
She added that site inspections with management and security authorities revealed these locations to be high-risk for such activities.
“The main concern is safety. These locations are simply not safe for taking photos, so we cannot consider issuing licences. It’s not just about the welfare of photo touts or tourism.
“At the KLCC junction, for instance, a car could hit someone at any time. It’s a safety issue,” she said after attending the Putrajaya International Language Initiative for Youth and Special Community Mobility Assistance programme today.
Hannah added that two inspections were conducted at the KLCC area with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), and security personnel.
“DBKL has installed additional CCTV cameras at the junction, and during our site visit, we observed a noticeable drop in photo tout activity. The police are also conducting ongoing joint operations with DBKL,” she said.
Public announcement systems in multiple languages have been set up, broadcasting every 10 minutes to remind tourists not to use the services of photo touts.
Hannah added that checks on detained photo touts revealed some were foreigners using false identities.
“This is not just a matter of operating without a licence; some are using fake identities, meaning they are not citizens. For this reason, issuing licences cannot be considered at this time,” she said.
Media reports previously noted that photo touts had been warned to cease operations in the capital, particularly around popular tourist areas, due to various issues they posed.
