‘Not right to order elderly stall owners give back licence’
Federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has voiced out his disagreement over Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee chairman Councillor Simon Ling’s suggestion for 65-yearold stall owners to return their licences, so as to give young people the opportunity to enter the market.
He says that Ling should be more active at the grassroots level, as it is not difficult to understand that there are many children in the market who have helped their parents at the stalls since childhood.
“Now that their parents are getting older and their children are growing up, unless they have no intention of continuing their parents’ business, the council should consider letting the children ‘take over’ the business and make a living from it.”
Tiong, also Bintulu MP and Dudong assemblyman, said that by rashly making the elderly stall operators return their licences, this would leave their children ‘adrift and without income’.
“How can these children and their families survive and support their parents?
“Moreover, we cannot rule out that these elderly vendors do rely on small businesses to survive. Simon Ling cannot just overturn the whole boat and conclude that the elderly folks are doing business just to kill time, ignoring the fact that there are actually many people like them in our society.”
Tiong also reminded Ling that weak and poor families required senior citizens to still work hard to earn a living even when they had reached the retirement age.
“Therefore, Simon Ling, who is the chairman of the Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee must have some empathy and understand his responsibilities and obligations to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of grassroots vendors, and to think twice before implementing any measures.”
When contacted, Ling clarified that the proposal was still under study and yet to be implemented.
“We are still studying this, and have not started (to implement) yet.
“If licence holders are in good health, they may continue (to operate their stalls). Alternatively, they can hand it (the licence) down to their children.
“All decision-making will go through the Hawkers Selection Committee.”