KUCHING: Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) will
improve the new hawker centre at Kpg Bumbok, Batu Kitang with adequate
facilities to make the place more conducive for both hawkers and customers.
Its chairman Lo Khere Chiang said he could
understand why the hawkers were reluctant to move to the new hawker centre due
to the inconvenient access, absence of parking spaces and lighting.
“What is happening is that the construction
of the hawker centre is completed and we are now in the process of installing
the lighting. We are faced with a problem whereby the transformer is too
expensive so are looking into an alternative source of energy such as solar to
light up the place,” Lo told The Borneo Post when contacted recently.
He was responding to a complaint brought up
by PKR Women national vice president Voon Shiak Ni on behalf of the hawkers,
that the new hawker centre which the locals called ‘rejected hawker centre’ was
not conducive for them to trade due inadequate facilities.
Besides complaining about no electricity
and water connections, Voon said they were reluctant to move into the hawker
centre as customers would find it inconvenient to patronise a place with no
parking spaces, inconvenient access and no proper lighting.
Instead of moving to a new place with not
guarantee of attracting customers, they preferred to stay put at the
dilapidated stalls at the roadside that had been attracting customers over the
years.
“They have been there for a long time and
they are worried business might be affected if they were to move to the
building put up by MPP. I noticed that the building put up by MPP is not by the
roadside and for customers to patronise the stalls there, they need to turn
into a junction.
“And I also noticed there are no parking
places for cars and although there is a road cutting through the site leading
into Kpg Bumbok, this road will not facilitate or encourage customers to turn
in and patronise the stalls as not everyone will want to waste their time to
make a big round to come out from Kpg Bumbok to the main road.
“I can only say there is a lack of proper
planning before the approval of this project.”
Voon suggested that if the building is
meant to give the hawkers of Kpg Bumbok a better place to trade, MPP needs to
make sure it is conducive for hawkers to trade and the setting must be
attractive for the public to patronise.
She said this is to enable the hawkers keep
their business as some of the families there depend on hawking for their
livelihood.
In his response, Lo said MPP noted the
grouses of the local people and promised to look into the matter.
“We are going to find a way to improve the
access in and out of the hawker centre and provide sufficient car park to
attract people to the new hawker centre.”
He admitted that MPP faced a small problem
because the state Public Works Department was not in favour of opening up the
access at the T-junction due to safety reasons, which was currently blocked
with a guard rail.
“We need a proper and convenient access.
Otherwise customers will not drive in there and the hawkers will not find it
feasible to move to the hawker centre.”
Lo said the reason why the hawkers were
encouraged to move to the hawker centre was because they were currently trading
in a very precarious place, as the sheds they used were dilapidated and on a
steep slope which could be dangerous to both hawkers and customers.
“That was the reason why we decided to
build a place for them to trade. In fact, few years ago when we first approached
the village folks with this idea, they were in favour of it, but now they are a
bit apprehensive as the hawker centre is unable to attract customers.”
Former
Bengoh state assemblyman Datuk William Tanyuh anak Nub left a deep
impression on his comrades who spoke of his deep loyalty to the Sarawak
United People’s Party (SUPP).
Villagers
of Kampung Batu Kitang near here are seeking compensation from Kuching
Water Board (KWB) as they claim that the board has negligently caused
the flood that damaged their properties on March 11 and 12 this year.
Mr.
Sim Swee Ann hurt his head and legs after an accident last year.
Because of health problems, he lost his stable income and now has
financial constraints.
砂人联党哥打圣淘沙支部与特别事務局于今日下午在八点地Kpg Stutong Melayu民众会堂联办分发斋戒月食品活动。
