Kota Kinabalu, 15 April 2021
A recent joint operation launched a day before Ramadan (12 April) by KK City Hall and few enforcement authorities to curb illegal hawking was received with praise by the business operators at the Kota Kinabalu Central Market.
“The illegal roadside vendors should be punished because they not only occupy the parking spaces at the main entrance of the Central Market, but also affect the business of ours, genuine licensed vendors,” as quoted from one of the hawkers, said Dexter Chin.
Dexter Chin, a Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) supreme councillor and its deputy Youth chief said the hawkers at the KK Central Market responded positively to such actions by the authorities. They hope City Hall will carry out more similar operations to curb illegal peddlers and protect their legitimate businesses.
Some opinions and suggestions were collected during a visit to the Central Market by Dexter on Wednesday which he will forward to DBKK, to help improved its condition.
Business operators of the area said the restoration of public bus services should be top priority. The decline in their business volume attributed to factors like inconvenient transportation and parking spaces. They suggested a construction of a multi-storeyed carpark between the market and SAFMA will be favourable to their market business.
“Although there are two bus stops in front of the market, not a single public bus pass by. Consumers could not afford to take e-hailing services to buy food every day,” they complained.
According to Chin, the hawkers demanded DBKK enforcement team to allow a grace period from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am (non-traffic rush hours) for road users, so as not to chase them(customers) away with summons.
“SAPP will put forward various plans to City Hall with a will to help traders to build a cleaner, healthier, orderly quality market,” Chin said, responding to their demands.
Chin said that SAPP will give its full support and assistance to the KK mayor and DBKK, to restore the glory of Kota Kinabalu Central Market.