KUCHING: Hawkers trading illegally in Matang near here will be moved to a temporary site.
The Lee Ling temporary hawker site located at a car park in front of RHB Islamic Bank and at the side of Emart Matang was established to house hawkers without permits.
Padawan Municipal Council chairman Lo Khere Chiang told reporters after his council made an inspection of the place yesterday that there were about 200 hawkers in the Matang area and they were encouraged to trade at the temporary site.
“We have given them permission to trade here due to the fact that they had been trading illegally around the Matang area and we (the council) have received quite a number of complaints.
“We have given them a space to conduct business and we hope to see the place transform like the hawker centres at MJC,” he explained.
“I have also encouraged the hawkers to form a committee and work together with the council so that we can help them to create an environment that is good for business.
“Together, it is a win-win situation and I am proud that these hawkers took the initiative to help themselves instead of waiting for government assistance,” he said.
When asked whether the temporary site would be made permanent, Lo said it should not even be a hawker centre because “the place where they trade is a car park.”
“But then again, look at the hawker centre in MJC, where it has been operational for 10 years. Do you think it is a permanent place for them?
“But it should not be a permanent place as there will be one fine day where they would eventually need to move out,” he stated.
Lo hoped that a big market would be established in future to house the hawkers in one place.
Meanwhile, Saffri Salleh, who has been trading ever since Emart Matang was established, said: “The other hawkers also would like to request an access road to this site as it would most certainly boost business and income, what with people driving by and purchasing some of our items.”
“The only issue is water supply, and I would like to request that water is supplied to the car park.”
