PETALING JAYA: A simple relocation of the popular Danau Kota night market in Kuala Lumpur has turned into a legal issue for Wangsa Maju MP Dr Tan Yee Kew.
Tan said yesterday she will not back down even though she had allegedly been “intimidated” by gangsters and lot owners over her efforts to relocate 500 hawkers to a new site.
She claimed that for the past 12 years, there are about three to four groups of gangsters who have been taking “rental” fees ranging from RM800 to RM1,500 a month from traders with the total collection coming up to RM500,000 per month.
“They are against the move because they can no longer collect money.
“How are these hardworking traders supposed to make any profit like this?” she said, adding the old site has been shut down by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Tan said close to 60% of the traders do not have DBKL licences but had “rented” them from other licence holders.
“We did a survey and found that many lots had been leased out to traders.”
Tan said DBKL had set up a new site for hawkers, namely “Wangsa Maju Bazaria”, that had more and better amenities.
“Most hawkers who were surveyed at the previous site were given a licence to trade at the new site, they do not need to pay rent to any syndicate or crony anymore,” she said, adding the hawkers were happy after a month of relocation.
With regard to the 157 police reports lodged by traders against her for abuse of power, Tan said she had lodged a counter report in Setapak on Saturday and had filed a lawsuit against Pertubuhan Ikatan Usahawan Kecil dan Sederhana Malaysia president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah for defamation.
Tan said the police reports were made after another group of traders were urged to do so by Ridzuan.
Tan said she was not involved in the selection of traders for the new site.
