SIBU: Business was so good at the reopening of the night market last Saturday that it took food stall traders less than two hours to sell all their food.
The market was closed for three months due to the movement control order (MCO). When it reopened last Saturday, it attracted a big crowd of people.
A total of 1,953 customers were recorded patronising the market that night.
Chairman of the Petty Traders and Market Committee of Sibu Municipal Council, Councillor Albert Tiang, said the food stall traders took only two hours to sell all their food.
The market opens from 5pm to 10pm nightly during the current recovery movement control order (RMCO) period.
“As last night was the first night of trading, people were very enthusiastic to visit the market. This has caused long queues at the registration desks of the three entrances,” Tiang said.
The three entrances, which also act as exit points at the market, are at Cross Road, Island Road and Market Road.
Tiang said the council was contemplating doing away with the registration but would keep the temperature scanning.
“When the registration of customers was implemented at five entry points at the Central Market last month, it caused a massive jam of people. We stopped doing that since. As similar thing is happening at the night market, we will also discard this process,” he said.
The council, he pointed out, would need the approval of the Resident Office first before discontinuing the registration process.
The traders, he said, were divided into two groups — Group A and B — with 82 traders each.
“Tonight is Group A’s turn. We hope we can do away with the registration,” he said.
Last Saturday night, Tiang said only 45 stalls from Group B opened as the rest of the traders who were elderly preferred not to trade as they are still feeling insecure with Covid-19.
Two of the three security guards manning the entry/exit points were engaged by the Pasar Malam Hawkers Association while the other one by the council.
The association, Tiang said, is collecting RM1 from every stall nightly to pay the security guards.
“Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) will have to look into better crowd control,” said chairman of SMC Clarence Ting on June 21.
