JOHOR BARU, Feb 1 — Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) has frozen all applications for business licences for spas, traditional treatments or massages and reflexology, effective today.

Mayor Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman said that the move was to control the proliferation of businesses deemed as high-risk and sensitive.

He added that the decision, reached during the Licencing Committee meeting on January 17, was comprehensive, and covered applications for such businesses in shop premises, hotel buildings and commercial or shopping complexes.

"The move to freeze licence applications for high-risk and sensitive businesses is to allow the MBJB to re-plan and rebrand these business activities, to be on par with those in developed countries and in line with the MBJB’s image.

"Accordingly, the MBJB will develop and issue a guideline for these high-risk and sensitive business activities,” he said, at a press conference after the launching of GeoJB Portal 3.0, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the MBJB Declaration celebration.

He said that any application for a business licence which was not approved as of yesterday was given deferred status until applications are reopened, at a time to be determined by the MBJB.

Mohd Noorazam said that an estimated 15 applications for business licences for spas, traditional treatments or massages and reflexology are received by MBJB every month.

There are a total of 151 licensed establishments in the MBJB administrative area so far, he said.

He added that the MBJB has also discovered that a total of 43 business premises have breached licence conditions, including operating in unsuitable zones or without a licence, and all have been seized.

"The zones where massage, spa and reflexology practices are allowed to open should be in shopping centres and hotels, as they have suitable operating hours.

"The permanent licence fee for the business premises is only RM800 per year, while the temporary licence costs RM1,400. Many people apply for a licence because the demand for tourism is very high. However, at the same time, we do not want any immoral activities to take place behind these premises,” he said. — Bernama