Traders urged to learn to resolve matters in rational manner

KUCHING: Hawkers who demolished the barricade to control traffic flow in the Stutong Community Market yesterday apologised to Kuching City South Council (MBKS).

FORGIVE AND FORGET: Chan (left) shakes hands with Lim while accepting the apology extended, on the hawkers’ behalf, by Lim.

The apology was extended on their behalf by Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Hawkers and Traders Association chairman Kapitan Lim Sin Khee.

Lim felt that the hawkers had acted impulsively, and he advised all hawkers who faced any problems ‘to talk things out rather than resorting to destroy public properties’.

“We are sorry for what had happened (on Tuesday) and the hawkers should not exaggerate the issue regarding the control parking system.

If any similar problem arise in future, we should sit down and negotiate,” he said as he shook hands with MBKS mayor James Chan after a simple dialogue session held at the council chamber.

Lim disclosed that the association would soon set up a special committee to look into various issues faced by hawkers at the market, and the committee had to liaise with the authority for improvement and solutions.

“Hawkers should learn to resolve matters in a rational manner; we have to always negotiate with MBKS instead of resorting to our own actions to show dissatisfaction,” he said.

On Tuesday, a group of hawkers demolished several metal barriers as they were against the council’s decision to implement the control parking system.

The hawkers deemed that the parking system would cause more hardship in their businesses.

Lim, who is also Federation of Sarawak Hawkers Association president, requested for free one-year parking in the area, if not three months, as a means to help hawkers secure customers in the new market.

Responding to such call, Chan granted a one-month grace period for both hawkers and shoppers, reasoning that he wanted to “give the Stutong Community Market a chance to work”.

“MBKS is willing to compromise and we will give a grace period; the control parking system should resume on August 1,” he said, adding that hawkers must come up with their own marketing strategies in drawing in more customers.

Although the council had lodged a police report on the incident, Chan said the report would be withdrawn given that the hawkers deserved a chance to work closely with MBKS for the betterment of all.

“The hawkers could have done it (dismantled the barricade) in anger, but they are good people. The council must have the right attitude to look at things professionally,” he said.

While asserting that communication was the key, he hoped that hawkers would opt for proper channels to overcome problems, as any violent acts would portray a negative image of the market, which could deter customers from patronising the place.

Hawkers and traders of the Stutong Community Market had to stop unruly acts and attitude lest the market would be labelled as unsafe, he said.

Chan also cautioned that the council would not hesitate to take drastic actions against any hawker who indulged in damaging public properties, adding that the first pardon should serve as ‘a friendly warning’.

He said MBKS would fix the barricade as soon as possible and some campaigns might be organised to help attract more people to shop at the market in Tabuan Laru.

At the moment, he pointed out that hawkers there paid between RM25 and RM40 per licence quarterly, RM8 - RM48 for water charges monthly, and RM25 - RM100 quarterly rental.

“These charges are very minimal and if hawkers still complain, my advice is they move to other markets because MBKS is receiving a lot of applications for trading at the Stutong Community Market,” he said.

He advised hawkers to operate within the stipulated business hours so that the council could do cleaning job on a regular basis to keep the market clean and dry.

“They must have a time for business, if not we cannot wash the place. Of utmost importance, some hawkers must change their habit and attitude in an effort to keep the market as clean as possible,” he said.

On the Dayak traders of Tabuan Jaya Market, Chan said they would be relocated to the Stutong Community Market by the end of this month.

“Those selling jungle produce still temporarily trade in the Tabuan Jaya Market but eventually they will move to Stutong as we cannot turn them away,” he said, adding that there were 42 Dayak traders who needed to be relocated.