LORONG Petaling Pasar Karat traders must move to a suitable site as the back lane where they operate in is not conducive for business, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun said.
He said the area has become an eyesore and that the traders should have proper space to do business.
"We don't want it (Pasar Karat) to be a bad image for the city. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) should do something.
"They (traders) should find a suitable place. Then I can apply to DBKL for them to get the site they have selected if it is a suitable area.
"This should also be subject to the conditions set by DBKL," he told The Vibes.
Traders at the flea market, however, are appealing to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to allow them to let them stay put.
They have had several meetings with the city council to raise their objections to the plan to temporarily move them to the Lee Lam Thye wet market in the city.
The traders want DBKL to beautify their current location and turn it into a tourist attraction.
Fong said the area is prone to traffic congestion andi a fire hazard.
"There are cars parked near the site that are blocking traffic in the morning.
"The fire hazard is another issue as it is difficult for the Fire and Rescue Department to enter the back lane in the event of an emergency."
Fong said he was told that DBKL could take action against the traders if they refuse to move.
Persatuan Penjaja Pasar Karat Kuala Lumpur and Selangor chairman Abdul Rahman Ali said 140 of the group's members will be affected by the move.
He said the authorities have not given the traders a reason to move.
"Our last meeting was in November with the Kuala Lumpur mayor. We were not given a concrete reason for the move. All they said was the area was not suitable," said Rahman,
Traders at the flea market were issued notices by DBKL to vacate the area by December 31, 2023.
They were given a spot to carry out their business, next to the Lee Lam Thye wet market, but they said the area was unsuitable.
"We were given until April 15 to move and the deadline has lapsed," said Rahman.
"If they carry out enforcement, we will have no choice but to move. But for now we will continue to operate here.'"
He said the traders want DBKL to beautify the current location and to provide them with a business licence.
"We want the area to be upgraded to attract more visitors."
Rahman said it was the first flea market in the country and the only one in Kuala Lumpur.
"After we started, Penang, Malacca, Johor and other places opened their own flea markets."
DBKL had earlier said the flea market must be relocated because it is a fire hazard.
“Fire engines have difficulty accessing the back lanes of Lorong Petaling as the space there is occupied by traders.
“DBKL has also received complaints from surrounding premises that the existing market is obstructing the backdoors of their premises," DBKL said.
The flea market opened two decades ago. DBKL had plans to transform the area into an antique market in 2015 but that did not happen.
In 2016, DBKL issued the traders temporary business licences. The licences have now expired. – April 18, 2024.
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