ONLINE REGISTRATION, SHIFT DRAWS IRE OF TRADERS
Expect a degree of pushback, including demonstrations, says association
THE move by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to implement an online registration system for its Ramadan bazaar lots, as well as relocate the annual Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ramadan bazaar, has prompted a warning from some traders.
They say the local authority can expect a degree of pushback from traders, which could include demonstrations.
Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Petty Traders Association’s Datuk Mohd Baba Kutty said his association, with more than 10,000 traders under its wing, would not budge from their trading space.
DBKL has yet to announce the new location for the Ramadan bazaar this year.
“The traders will still trade legally at all the baazars, including Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, as both the systems are unfair to them.
“Associations usually subdivide the lots so that more people can conduct their business. Here, they are throwing sand into the traders’ rice bowls. They can expect fights.”
Baba, who had been a vocal opponent of the new online registration system for traders, said there would be many traders affected by the move, as only 4,430 lots would be offered by DBKL.
The deadline for the online application for Ramadan bazaar lots in Kuala Lumpur has been pushed to next Thursday.
DBKL, in a statement yesterday, said this was to accommodate the new online system.
DBKL, however, noted that those who had sent in their applications could no longer update them.
It had earlier this week said from April 1, a 1km stretch from Jalan Esfahan and Jalan Melayu to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Jalan TAR) would be closed to private vehicles on weekends from 8am to 12am next month.
During this trial period, which is to gauge the feasibility of transforming the stretch into a pedestrian mall, only buses, taxis, fire engines, police cars and other vehicles manned by enforcement officers would be allowed on the road.
Federal Territories Bumiputera Hawkers and Petty Traders Association secretary-general Shahrin Darus did not discount the possibility of a standoff with DBKL over the online registration system.
“Traders who are not IT-savvy and who do not get lots could become frustrated,” he said, adding that the 2,000-odd lots snapped up so far were only limited to “hot” lots in the city centre.
“Our association is fine with the system. We just want a grace period of a year to learn how to apply properly. Until then, we are appealing to City Hall to allow associations to handle the applications from their members for bazaars outside the city centre,” said Shahrin, whose association represents 15,000 Ramadan baazar traders.
Masjid India Business Owners Association president Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, meanwhile, said the established traders along the stretch accepted the developments.
“We will be doing a postmortem to see if all they’ve stated will come to pass, because its success hinges on enforcement and City Hall has not had a sterling record in that department. But we are happy about their stance to ban illegal traders.”
He expressed concern over kiosks that would be built around the area and hoped that it would not disrupt traffic in the city or their business.
“I would like to thank Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad if it’s true that the pasar malam has been relocated because he has managed to do what no minister has done. No one has been able to do this because they (illegal hawkers) are fearless and powerful.”
Ameer said all the money pumped into the walkways and ornamental plants in the area through the River of Life project were destroyed due to the unchecked habits of the hawkers.
He thanked the minister for consulting business owners, including the Batu Road Retailers Association, before implementing the trial.