That is the question raised by Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng after the deputy minister’s statement to reporters on Wednesday.
He wants Jalaluddin to provide an explanation over the move, saying KL is a city governed by rules and regulations imposed by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
“Is Jalaluddin aware that he has no power to issue such a personal ban?” Lim asked in a statement.
He said Jalaluddin was obliged to enlighten the public on which specific provisions of the law empowered him to impose a lifetime ban on the owners of the club.
Jalaluddin was reported to have said that DBKL’s licensing committee had decided to revoke Crackhouse Comedy Club’s licence, effective July 30, and the owners were also no longer able to register any business in the city even under different names or companies.
Citing a source, Lim claimed that DBKL’s licensing committee had initially recommended that Rizal van Geyzel, co-founder of the club, only be blacklisted from registering a business in Kuala Lumpur for one year as opposed to a permanent ban.
Lim, who is also DAP public complaints bureau chairman, asked whether Jalaluddin had taken matters into his own hands, contrary to what the committee had recommended.
“If so, what was his motive?” he asked.
On Thursday, lawyers acting on behalf of the Crackhouse Comedy Club’s owners said they would initiate legal action against KL mayor Mahadi Che Ngah unless he reversed the order to revoke the club’s operating licence and blacklist the owners from registering any other business.
In a letter of demand, the lawyers from Karpal Singh & Co said the owners had not been officially notified about the revocation of the club’s licence and the blacklisting, adding that they had never been found guilty of any offence that justified DBKL’s decisions.
The blacklisting follows the suspension of the comedy club by DBKL early last month over a video clip that went viral. The clip showed a Malay woman removing her baju kurung and headscarf to reveal a blouse and skirt underneath during an open mic night for wannabe stand-up comedians at the club.
The woman and her boyfriend were eventually arrested and charged.
Rizal was also arrested when several old video clips of comedy performances in which he made some controversial statements resurfaced.
He was charged in the Kuala Lumpur sessions court with three counts of uploading videos on his social media platforms that allegedly touched on racial and religious sensitivities.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.