Traders claim they were not consulted over Jalan Raja site
KUALA LUMPUR: Ramadan bazaar traders feel that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (City Hall) has backed them into a corner by relocating them to Jalan Raja here.
Federal Territories Bumiputera Hawkers and Petty Traders Association chairman Datuk Mohammad Abdullah said traders were resigned to decisions being made for them with no consultation.
“There was no proper consultation to begin with, so we have no choice but to accept the decision. Many appeals have been made to the authority and Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad to meet and and listen to us (petty traders) but they are not bothered,” he claimed, adding that traders associations were still trying to discuss the issue with the ministry.
“We could be affected by the tug of war between City Hall and traders on the closure of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR), but no one will know what’s going on in everyone’s mind because they have not talked to us after relocating us.”
Mohammad was sceptical if the new location would be good for traders as there was no way to determine this because many association members did not even apply for lots using the new online bidding system.
Heritage experts Elizabeth Cardosa and Mariana Isa wondered how the bazaar could thrive in Jalan Raja as the concentration of shoppers was in Jalan TAR.
Bumiputera Petty Traders Association head Datuk Mohd Baba Kutty said he did know whether people would visit the spot as it was quite a distance from Jalan TAR.
“But what can we do, they (City Hall) have the power. They have not listened to us,” he said, adding that the association’s representatives had met Khalid once but he and his officers had yet to decide on the issue.
Baba said the association would make a decision whether it would take to the streets after monitoring developments relating to the issue.
He said their traders, who were mostly from the Bottom 40 income group, were unhappy with the move as they felt that the relocation of the bazaar could affect their sales. He said this could lead to the problem of illegal traders.
“I don’t know how the enforcement division is going to handle them (traders). We used to subdivide the lots allotted to us to ensure that as many members as possible can do business. If you take this away from them, these ‘Rambos’ will trade anyway.”
He said to date, City Hall had yet to announce the finalised bids despite using an online system.
“What’s taking them so long? Previously, when the associations were given quotas for the bazaar, everything was ironed out two to three months before Ramadan.”
The association earlier asked for the online application to be restricted to the bazaar in the city centre (Jalan TAR) and for a return to the previous system where associations were allowed quotas for the purported benefit of their members.
Khalid had said that the previous system paved the way for cartels, under the cover of associations, to sell lots to the highest bidder, reportedly to the tune of thousands of ringgit.
Bukit Bintang member of parliament Fong Kui Lun had said he would go against the authority if it decided to backtrack on its decision to restrict future registrations of festive markets to online bidding.
He was previously embroiled in a scandal involving misappropriation of bazaar lots last year when he unwittingly endorsed a politician’s bid to sublet the lots.