Quarrel over operating days fuels Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng feud

GEORGE TOWN – The dispute between the Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng stall owner and the coffee-shop operator has taken another turn as the hawker fumes over the premises’ three-day weekly operation.

Stall owner Mahboob Md Zakarih’s daughter Sameema said the coffee-shop has been open for three out of six days over the last three weeks, while the consensus is for it to only close every Monday.

When the coffee-shop closes, all hawker operators will not be able to operate.

She told The Vibes that the operating days are now inconsistent and her father needs to open six days a week, partly to inform customers of his next move and to make ends meet.

Mahboob received a six-month extension to his agreement which bought him time to find an alternative site after his relationship soured with the coffee-shop operator. 

Sameema said her father will liaise with the Penang Island City Council on getting a street hawker permit to enable him to operate outside the coffee-shop while setting up some tables for diners.

“We continue to be in a fix. My father wants some stability as he needs to inform his customers. And with the ongoing pandemic, it is tough for the family.”

Mahboob’s plight caught nationwide attention when he was asked by the operator to vacate the premises by March 1.

Although Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee Chun Kit tried to step in, he said he can only help with the relocation and that the matter is a private dispute.

He said Mahboob can have his pick of any hawker centres operated by the state or negotiate with coffee-shop operators in the vicinity who are keen to offer him a spot.

“He is after all, the trademark owner of a famous hawker dish.”

However, Mahboob is said to be struggling to relocate because of the steep rental prices in the locality.

Pulau Tikus has a high-cost reputation on the island after nearby Tg Bungah and Tg Tokong.

The coffee-shop operator could not be reached for comment.

Mahboob and the coffee-shop operator have kept mum over the reasons behind their deteriorating relationship.

The stall has been operating in the same spot for 76 years, as the business was passed down to Mahboob from his father.

The family had said they received a notice telling them to move in under a month, to which Mahboob said it would be difficult to find a new location in such a short time, especially in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn. – The Vibes, March 23, 2021