Khalid: Flooding, ventilation issue at bazaar to be resolved soon

PUTRAJAYA: Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad is positive grouses expressed by traders and visitors of the Jalan Raja Ramadan baazar will be resolved soon.

On the issue of poor ventilation, he said discussions were held with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan about having air-conditioning at the bazaar.

“The bazaar is in a closed (tented) area and it is warm inside. I have spoken to the mayor to emulate the Putrajaya Festival Bazaar, where Putrajaya Corporation has equipped the tents with air-conditioning for traders and customers.

“Kuala Lumpur City Hall should consider air-conditioning, if not, at the very least, improving ventilation,” he said after attending a buka puasa event hosted by Putrajaya Corporation here.

On the flash floods at the Ramadan bazaar in Jalan Raja, he said City Hall had cleared the drains in the area.

“Due to construction work in the area, the drain routes were clogged, but City Hall has cleared them now.”

Khalid said most traders said it would have been a lot worse if they had been in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, where there were no roofs over their heads and their goods would probably get wet.

It was reported that heavy rain in Kuala Lumpur had resulted in floodis, with some stalls inundated in ankle-deep water.

City Hall, however, blamed traders for the flash floods.

Its corporate planning department director, Norhaslinda Nordin, said traders “put so many things on the road”, blocking water flow.

She said City Hall had cleared the blockages and widened drains on both sides of Jalan Raja.