Press Digest: Bersih 4 brings roaring business

PETALING JAYA: While some shops chose to close early as the number of Bersih 4 rally participants grew by noon on Aug 29, eateries that remained open enjoyed a roaring business.
According to a report in Oriental Daily News today, some 70% of shops around the Sogo Department Store opened for business in the morning but some of them opted to close as the Bersih crowd began to swell.
As KL Sogo is one of the Bersih 4 gathering points, a significant crowd had appeared by 10am outside the department stall and along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Owners who kept their shops along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman open told the daily they were used to rallies now.
Some said they would close if the crowd became too big or if disturbances occurred, to avoid possible losses.
Likewise, in Petaling Street and Jalan Sultan, only about 30% of the shops stayed closed.
Other shops, particularly coffee shops and restaurants, as well as hawker stalls were open for business.
They too enjoyed the sudden boom in business, thanks to the Bersih crowd.
Many hawkers were seen donning the yellow Bersih T-shirt to lend support.
Among shops that did not open for business, a money changer at Leboh Pasar put up a notice that it closed due to the rally.
Some shops at two other rally gathering points, Central Market and Jalan Perak, were also closed but eateries that opened had their cashier registers ringing non-stop.
A 24-hour convenience store near Central Market had even run out of drinks, to the dismay of many in the yellow tops walking into the outlet.
Also enjoying booming business were the two LRT concessionaires, with rally-goers mainly using the light rail transit service to reach their gathering points.