PENDANG: The Kedah Malay Petty Traders Association has called on local governments in the state to discontinue the practice of auctioning off Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaar lots to traders.
Its president, Mohd Nadzri Kamarulzaman, said while the "bidding wars" between traders may generate significant profit for local councils, the practice crushed the aspirations of petty traders hoping to participate in the bazaars.
"We are concerned about the ridiculous 'bidding wars' that are driving up the price of certain lots, which end up being rented out at RM20,000 to RM25,000 each.
"We urge the local councils to scrap this practice and offer fairer deals to petty traders instead," he told reporters after meeting with petty traders at the Tanah Merah Ramadan Rahmah Bazaar in Pendang.
He said the practice of auctioning off bazaar lots had been the common procedure for local councils in Pendang since 2019.
"I am not sure when this practice began for specific districts and cities, but in Pendang, this has been going on for more than four years." Nadzri claimed that the high rental cost for the bazaar lots forced traders to increase the prices of their goods sold at the bazaars.
"The traders have no choice but to increase the prices due to the absurdly expensive rates they have to pay to secure those lots."
In a related development, Nadzri urged the association's 19,000 members who operated food and beverage stalls at the bazaars to get the anti-typhoid injection.
"We support the mandatory requirement set by the Health Department to ensure the safety of traders and consumers," he said.
However, Nadzri said, many traders hoped that the government would set a ceiling price for the injection, which costs about RM60 to RM90 per jab.