KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Ministry is mulling over the possibility of redeveloping the Selayang Wholesale Market into a modern facility.
Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the proposal stemmed from Kuala Lumpur City Hall's study.
His announcement comes on the heels of the market being put under the spotlight for its overdependence on migrant workers.
The facility and some neighbourhoods around it were recently placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order to curb the spread of Covid-19 from clusters traced to market workers who attended the Tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling.
"If all goes well I hope to see a more modern and spacious building with more local workers by mid-next year."
"I hope this becomes a flagship project because barring foreign workers alone will not solve the problem.
"They will make a comeback since locals do not want to do dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs. So, we need to create a more conducive environment," he said during the ministry's live update on Facebook here on Wednesday.
Annuar, however, conceded with traders, saying that even City Hall's studies had revealed locals were not keen to work in markets as they were dirty, smelly and the jobs were tiring.
The proposed facility is to have three to five times more floorspace, hostels for workers in the compound on top of using technology related to mechanisation and green practices such as the installation of solar panels as well as recycling facilities.
He also hoped to model it based on markets in South Korea, Japan and Europe.
"If the plans take off, the rebuilding works are expected not to take too long and traders can still ply their trade while the renovation goes on.
"City Hall has also renewed the tenancy agreements for the lot owners so there will be no problems in them continuing their trade," added Annuar.
The Selayang wholesale market has been around since 2002 and small repairs as well as upgrades have been done to it since.
Besides developing a modern and updated wholesale market which caters to the needs of the city, he said enforcement on undocumented workers would continue.
He said the government had insisted that all job opportunities must be given first to the locals and Malaysia could not continue depending on migrant labour.