GEORGE TOWN – Once the pride of street food in the suburban area where many well-heeled residents and expatriates call home, the Astaka Tanjung Bungah food court’s future is now up in the air after its hawkers staged a protest at Komtar here.
The place used to be buzzing, especially with patrons who ate after patronising night spots and entertainment joints that dotted the coastal stretch from Tg Bungah to the Batu Ferringhi tourist belt here.
About 50 of them staged a protest for 30 minutes earlier today before submitting a memorandum to a representative of the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) office here.
At the heart of the dispute is that they are now required to pay RM900 for stall rental when previously they were allowed to peddle their food for free and only had to pay RM36 in monthly licensing fees to the Penang Island City Council.
The sprawling food court was razed in a raging fire in 2020. Firemen only managed to salvage the main structure, and most of the stalls were destroyed in the blaze.
CMI stepped in at the intervention of Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari, who is also a state executive councillor.
The state then directed CMI to renovate and upgrade the facility at a cost of RM3.5 million by turning it into a modern food court with areas for retail outlets.
The complex was supposed to commence operations soon but now there is disagreement involving the hawkers, who are claiming that it is unfair for the state to impose a rental of RM900 a month on them.
A representative of the hawkers, Sophian Zain, told journalists here that the new rate is not cheap despite a state official comparing it to other food courts that impose a monthly rental fee of RM1,500.
The hawkers need to start over as the fire happened in the middle of the pandemic, he said, adding that nowadays everyone is struggling with the rising living costs.
Anson Chan, who used to frequent the food court, said that the hawkers should be given a reprieve by the state as they are now in the middle of an economic downturn.
Chan hopes that the hawkers can commence operations soon, as the steep property rental prices in the area prevent many people from opening restaurants there, hence limiting the options for those seeking to dine out.
In a statement, Zairil said that the monthly rental of RM900 is considered reasonable as the other food courts in the locality are charging over RM1,500 for rental of a food lot.
Nonetheless, he said, the state plans to assist the hawkers by providing a rent-free waiver for three months and RM2,000 in grants for each hawker as startup capital for those who need it. – The Vibes, June 20, 2023
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