7 days ago
Desa Pandan stall operators facing eviction want alternative site to trade
TRADERS in Desa Pandan urge Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to allow them to continue operating in the area after being served with notices to vacate.
The nine traders, who currently run stalls along Jalan 2/76, hope to be offered alternative spaces nearby if relocation becomes necessary.
One of them, Mohd Al-Amin, 37, said it would be difficult to start over elsewhere, especially since many have been trading there for years.
'We have our regular customers, and I live nearby, so it is convenient.
'It is worrying because DBKL only issued notices to vacate without offering any alternatives,' said Mohd Al-Amin, who has been operating at the site for 16 years.
The traders were supposed to leave by July 15 to make way for a road widening project along Jalan 2/76.
However, the operation was postponed following an altercation at the site.
Meanwhile, Shaaripuddin Yub Kamaruddin, chairman of the Pangsapuri Anggerik E2 residents association, called for greater transparency from DBKL regarding the proposed road expansion.
'We were only shown what was said to be phase one of the project, which affects part of Jalan 2/76 and the nine traders here.
'The 2023 briefing was not a proper dialogue where we could give feedback,' he claimed.
Shaaripuddin also noted that DBKL had issued multiple notices with conflicting deadlines, adding to the confusion.
'The licensing department told them to vacate by July 17, but the enforcement department issued another notice saying demolition would begin on July 15.
'That contradiction contributed to the chaos,' he said.
On Thursday (July 17), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the nine traders would be relocated under the 'Lestari Niaga' initiative currently being implemented in Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Zaliha said she had instructed the Federal Territories Department and DBKL to meet the traders again and offer them options for relocation to a new site.
According to DBKL, the traders' licences to operate at the site were cancelled on Jan 10.
The authority said all traders were formally notified on Jan 15 and asked to vacate the site within the specified timeframe.
DBKL issued final eviction notices on July 4 as the last step before demolition works could commence.
