KUALA LUMPUR: Traders at the first-ever Ramadan Bazaar in Jalan Raja are not happy but have no choice except to set up stalls away from their traditional turf in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
They will fight on should they see their profits dwindle due to the change in location.
Batik apparel trader Roslina Yusoh, 46, said Kuala Lumpur City Hall was “completely unreasonable” in pushing them into the heritage quarter.
Roslina said if she did not make profit after the first week, she and fellow traders would camp outside Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad’s office.
“We might be seen as uncivilised, but we will do this if the situation goes from bad to worse. I did not invest in leaves and trees, I had pumped in money.”
She said all the 344 successful applicants of the bazaar felt cheated as they were informed that they were applying for bazaar lots in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman when the registration for baazar lots opened in February. This, she said, was stated on the registration portal.
Their hopes were, however, dashed when the authorities withdrew their earlier decision to make Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman’s closure permanent, opting for a weekend-only trial closure.
She lamented that her potential customers had to walk under the sun due to the lack of shade.
She said the new location lacked toilets and facilities for prayers.
“There is only one toilet under Dataran Merdeka for us to go to.”
Roslina said setting up stalls illegally in Lorong TAR was not an option as loading and unloading merchandise was backbreaking work.
Baju kurung trader Roslan Ghani said that there was no point in fighting as it was too late for anything to be done.
“Suffering losses is common in the first seven days of trading, but I will see how it goes. I have to swallow this bitter pill and trade here even if there is a likelihood of losses. Much is at stake as I have invested tens of thousands of ringgit. But if my friends and I suffer losses, we are not going to remain silent. We will highlight this to the mayor. I will show him my accounts and receipts.
“After all, moving us from Lorong TAR, Masjid India where we have traded for more than 30 years was their idea.”
Hawkers and Petty Traders Association of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman said traders had agreed to go “rambo” and trade illegally in Jalan TAR and Lorong TAR if they did not make a profit within the first seven days.
He said there could easily be more than 500 people trading illegally in the area this year, adding that most of them were drink sellers, who could easily sneak in and out as they used only push carts to sell drinks.
“I don’t know how they are going to stop this unless they station all their 1,000-over enforcement officers there.”
He called on Khalid and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan to relent and allow traders in Jalan TAR.
“Most of the traders are from the Bottom 40 income group and this is the only time of the year they can do proper business. My appeals to meet Nor Hisham since February have fallen on deaf ears. He shouldn’t be so arrogant. If he and the rest continue to sideline us, we will have no choice but to protest.”
Rosli said there were 5,000 Malay traders in the city and almost all of them were involved in the Ramadan Baazar. He did not rule out a protest in the city centre.
“Just you wait and see.”