SIBU: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has closed down the wet market at Jalan Tiong Hua starting Saturday.
This was done for the safety of shoppers and hawkers as the place was found to be unsafe.
SMC chairman Clarence Ting Ing Horh when contacted on Saturday said, the some of the structures at the premises were found to have cracked, thus endangering safety.
“Such case was noticed and scrutinised on Friday afternoon after we received a complaint from hawkers who said there were cracks on the wall and ceiling.
“Following the call, I went to the market to inspect it and today (Saturday) we decided to close it to the public including hawkers,” Ting said adding that it would be temporarily closed until further notice.
The structure is no longer safe and his party is still waiting for an assessment to be made by the Public Works Department (PWD) for further action, he explained.
“The council will monitor its condition from time to time. We have decided to close it temporarily for the safety of all.
“Safety is a priority for the council because we do not want anything undesirable to happen later,” he stated.
According to Ting, hawkers who want to continue their business are allowed to do so in the building’s compound.
“We cannot stop the hawkers from making a living. That is their rice bowl. Therefore, we will allow them to trade outside the market temporarily starting Sunday.
“Any further development, we will come to know about it later. But any decision from the PWD’s assessment on this building, we will just follow because they are more knowledgeable about the structure of the building,” said Ting.
This wet market at Jalan Tiong Hua was first built in 1970 and it presently houses a total of 34 hawkers.
Some parts of the building structure with cracks. 
Some parts of the building structure with cracks.
