KANOWIT: The 50 native hawkers, who were issued with a letter from Kanowit District Council (KDC) to relocate to a new trading site at an old bus terminal, have lodged a police report opposing the directive.
PKR Kanowit chairman George Chen told the press yesterday the hawkers will not move to Market Serbaguna by April 1, and that the police report was to prevent KDC enforcement officers from confiscating their belongings.
Five representatives from the hawkers were also present at the press conference.
“They hope KDC will not execute its power to deny them from earning a living by allowing them to trade at their existing site until a suitable place is found instead of Market Serbaguna,” he said.
According to Chen, previously the hawkers had, on the directive of KDC, moved to Market Serbaguna but found that business was poor and that they could not make even RM5 a day. Because of this, they shifted back to their current location.
He said the hawkers would move to the new site only if and when the proposed construction of a ferry ramp connecting Sedaya and Kanowit town is completed, as by then business might be good.
However the project which was scheduled to start in February 2018 and completed in a year’s time, had not even commenced.
“The council in asking them to relocate said that it would help relieve traffic congestion in the area. However, the hawkers are not accepting this reason as the council is allowing a supermarket to take over their (current) site, which is likely to worsen congestion,” he said.
KDC, he said, should look into the basic human rights of the public, especially the rights of the hawkers rather than giving the reason that the old market site has been rented out to the supermarket.
Chen said the council should identify a more ideal location for the hawkers.
