KUALA LUMPUR: The future looks bleak for 550 Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) night market traders who have been forced to move to a new site with the closure of Jalan TAR on April 1.
This is because they have not been informed officially by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and they are afraid that operating at the new site will affect their source of income.
According to Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) Traders and Hawkers Association chairman Azkhalim Suradi, he had been operating in the area for the past 34 years and had been asked to move three times.
“When we were first asked to relocate from Jalan TAR to Lorong TAR, our businesses were severely affected over 10 years that 50% of the traders had to close shop.
“It took us about 20 years to rebuild our business from the stinking back lanes which later became a tourist haunt. Thanks to us who had helped to maintain cleanliness at the site,“ he told a press conference here today.
Meanwhile deputy chairman, Roslan Ab Ghani said the second time they had to move was when Lorong TAR was upgraded in conjunction with the River of Life (RoL) project causing much confusion to their usual customers.
“Most of the traders complained that their businesses were affected because of the frequent power breakdown and customers were not familiar with the position of their new lots in front of Masjid India.
He said the move this time would only worsen problems as it would involve the relocation of 550 shop lots of 10m width, along a one-kilometre stretch.
He said the association would hand over a memorandum together with signatures to Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad on Monday to have a discussion with them.
Last Tuesday, Khalid said DBKL will carry out a trial period for the closure of Jalan TAR, which will affect the stretch between Jalan Esfahan and Jalan Melayu.
The road will be closed to all private vehicles during weekends and public holidays.
He said only public transport and enforcement vehicles could use the road which would be closed from 8am to 12 midnight.
Following that, there would be no more traders and obstacles along Lorong TAR and Lorong Gombak and the night market would be relocated to another site. — Bernama
