DBKL: No objections received from traders eligible to operate at Jalan Raja Ramadan bazaar

KUALA LUMPUR (April 4): Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has not received any objections from traders who are eligible to operate at the Jalan Raja Ramadan bazaar, reported The Star today.

This means “in principle”, the traders “were willing to operate at the new location, if successful in the bazaar lot-drawing process”, DBKL Corporate Planning Department director Haslinda Nordin told the daily.

She revealed that “none of the 1,331 successful applicants vying for a spot in Jalan Raja objected to or left the venue as a sign of protest”.

“However, DBKL is prepared to listen to some traders’ views to increase the number of lots at the Jalan Raja Ramadan bazaar. This decision will be determined at a later date,” Haslinda added.

It was reported that there was some disruption during the lot-drawing session but they were carried out “by unrelated parties”, she explained.

But seemed to be a different story from Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Traders and Hawkers Association vice-president Datuk Mohd Baba Kutty who did not seem very happy about what transpired.

He told The Star that DBKL had ignored their views and concerns, leading them to object to the drawing session at Titiwangsa Stadium.

“They implemented these changes without taking into consideration the problems that the traders would face. These are valid concerns as it will affect the livelihood of the traders,” he told the daily.

He explained that even though Jalan Raja was wider, “there were fewer lots allocated and the area was far away from the crowd”.

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad on Monday urged all quarters to give DBKL the chance to implement the relocation of the Ramadan Bazaar on Jalan Raja.

"If it is said that it tarnishes the building’s area, a breaking-the-fast event can also be an issue, but we find it does not bring any problem,’’ he told a media conference at the Parliament lobby.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor, Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, prior to this said, the operations of the Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ramadan Bazaar including Jalan Masjid India and surrounding areas would be moved this year to Jalan Raja.

The location of the Ramadan bazaar would commence from the Jalan Gereja traffic light junction until the Leboh Pasar Besar traffic light junction covering a distance of 0.2 km and 12 metres wide.