KUCHING: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has been urged to solve the issue regarding the hawker licences at the Sungai Apong Market on a case to case basis.
DAP Pending assemblyman Violet Yong said some of the hawkers have received a ‘notice of non-trading’ from the council recently that states the licence holder must be present or stationed at the stall at the time of business.
Otherwise, it will be treated as non-trading, thus, their licences will be terminated.
“However, the local council has recently informed the hawkers that the licence holder or owner must be present, especially when the enforcement officers are conducting checks at the market,” she said.
“The hawkers, mostly elderly are very worried now and they have come to see me, asking for help. So, I have written to the MBKS, to organise a dialogue with the hawkers here to solve the issue properly,” she said at a press conference held at the market here yesterday.
Yong said some of the representatives were actually close family members, such as father and son, mother-in-law, among others, running the stall as a family business.
Besides, the Sungai Apong Market is a small market, without much crowd; and hawkers do not really have good business all the time.
“So I urge the MBKS to address the issue in a more human-centred approach, especially for those who are trading here sincerely. Please let them continue doing their business ‘peacefully’,” she stressed.
“Of course, I am aware that there are also licence holders who actually rented out the stall to other people.,,for these cases, I am not appealing for them…,” she added.
In a letter addressed to one of the hawkers here, noted by New Sarawak Tribune, the council said: “The council would like to remind you that the license issued to you is for you to trade personally and not for hoarding or subletting.
“You are required to resume operating your business within seven (7) days from the date of this letter, failing which appropriate action will be taken against you.”
A fishmonger, Ng Boon Kong who was also present at the press conference; has provided three documents including notice of non-trading, hawker licence and a birth certificate to show proof of relation.
“Although the licence holder is my son, Ng Zhi Hua, he needs my help to run his business, especially when he needs to look for the supply to be brought to the market daily. He can’t do everything by himself,” he stressed.
Another fishmonger, Bong Zhen Siong said: “I am just a worker, which means I work for my boss (licence holder). He brings the fish over. So if he takes care of the stall here all the time, who will do it (bring the fish)?”
To solve the matter ‘humanely’ and ‘compassionately’, Yong had submitted a letter to MBKS yesterday, requesting a dialogue with the hawkers.
