KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) defended its move to relocate the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman’s Ramadan bazaar to Jalan Raja.
It assured that all iconic landmarks will be protected from any damage and litterbugs.
Its mayor Datuk Nor Hisham A. Dahlan said the operation of the bazaar would not affect the Sultan Abdul Samad heritage building or lead to a complete closure of Jalan Raja since it would be set-up on the little portion of the road near Dataran Merdeka.
He reiterated that the bazaar, which would operate for 12 hours from 10am, will also not be set-up on the nearby historic Dataran Merdeka field.
“The cleanliness of the new (bazaar) location would be strictly controlled and monitored by DBKL for 24 hours during the 30-day period of the bazaar.
“Participants of the bazaar are not allowed to sell cooked food as well as breaking of fast dishes. Only dry food, which has been packed, are allowed be sold at the bazaar,” he said in a statement today.
Nor Hisham said mobile toilets would also be made available at the location for all.
He was responding to an online poll report conducted by the New Straits Times’ social media platforms.
It saw some 60 per cent respondents objecting to the relocation of the bazaar.
They feared that the move might undermine the cleanliness of the iconic landmarks near Jalan Raja.
Since Jalan Raja is a tourist hotspot famous for its dry food and textile merchandise, Nor Hisham said the unique concept of the Ramadan bazaar will not only lure more tourists but would also help generate more income for bazaar traders.
He said other tourist attraction near Jalan Raja such as the blue pond, Heritage Trail and Sultan Abdul Samad building would also provide positive impact to bazaar traders and participants.
“We have conducted studies and taken into consideration several aspects on proposal to relocate the Ramadan bazaar in Jalan Raja.
“We have also taken into considerations the views and suggestions of several groups on the new location. The operation of the bazaar is only for 30 days during the month of Ramadan,” he said.