Kajang's Medan Sate in dire need of makeover

The interior of Medan Sate is dim as many lights are not working, forcing traders to replace them on their own accord.

KAJANG, Selangor is so famous for satay that it has a food court named Medan Sate.

Built during the 1990s, Medan Sate in Jalan Sulaiman was one of the first food centres dedicated to the skewered grilled meat dish.

Satay seller Kamaruzaman Abdul Karim, 55, said one of the first traders to be given a lot at this centre was his late grandfather, Rono Satiban, a Javanese who had come to Kajang with his brother, Tasmin.

They had eked out a living first as farm hands before venturing into the satay business in 1917.

Traders are unhappy about the rubbish bin placement at Medan Sate.

“I was told that former Selangor mentri besar, the late Datuk Harun Idris, was having a meal at a coffee shop where KFC at Jalan Tun Abdul Aziz now stands.

“Harun had seen my grandfather selling satay and asked if he would like a trading lot.

“As my grandfather was just a mobile peddler who carried his wares on a pole, he naturally said ‘yes’.”

The food centre started as an open-air bazaar before the building came up in the 1990s, said Kamaruzaman.

It comprised 10 trading lots, and Rono and his brother were given one each.

Four other shoplots were also allocated to their sons and family members

Some fans are also missing blades..

Kamaruzaman has been working at his uncle Sidek Rono’s shop at Medan Sate since he was 14.

He recalled how diners from other states like Melaka as well as Singapore would come to enjoy the town’s signature dish.

However, traders say the council-operated food court is in dire straits due to lack of maintenance.

“It came to a point where tenants have been forced to carry out repairs themselves,” said Kamaruzaman.

“I’ve had to screw down furnishings that had become wobbly and replace burnt out fluorescent tubes.”

Traders say many of the fluorescent tube casings and ceiling fans are also not working.

Ayam penyet seller Zulbahari Ludin, 63, who has been operating here for a year, said operators were forced to pull wiring from their own shops to light up the place and get the fans working – at the risk of getting electrocuted.

“We realised if we didn’t do anything, our customers would surely go somewhere else, like the mall opposite where there is air conditioning. This would translate into a loss in business for us.

“Because of the heat, customers will always want to sit under a fan so they can dine comfortably.

“At night, the place is dim due to the lack of lighting. None of this is conducive for a food court, which should be brightly lit to attract customers.”

He said drug addicts and the homeless occupied the space at night.

Julie says many ceiling fans at Medan Sate are not working.

Ayam geprek seller Julie Aiman, 33, who has been operating here for a year, said women do not feel safe using the toilets as there were no lights.

She said customers preferred to use restrooms at the mall instead.

Though daily cleaning is carried out by Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), the ceiling fans and light fixtures are covered in a thick layer of dust.

Presently, the roof leaks when it rains.

Stall operators say the last time Medan Sate was given a new paint job was five years ago.

The leaky roof was repaired two years ago. However, droplets continue to fall from the ceiling whenever there is a downpour.

The stall operators who pay a rental of RM500 per month to MPKj also complained about the large rubbish bin placed in front of the food court.

They expressed concern that flies from the bin would contaminate their food.

“The council could have an enclosed rubbish area exclusively for traders so that outsiders won’t be able to throw their waste here and cause the bin to overflow,” said satay seller Nor Haikal Muhammad Kamaruzaman, 22.

While the aroma of grilled meats would generally be welcomed, those whose businesses are located near the food court want to see something done to address the smoke emitted from charcoal grills of the satay shops beyond the installation of smoke chimneys.

Toilets at Medan Sate are unlit, causing users to feel unsafe.

Shoplot operators say despite numerous complaints made to MPKj, little or no action has been taken.

“On days when business is good, the smoke travels into our shops.

“It makes our eyes water and some of us find it hard to breathe,” said one hardware shop worker who only wanted to be identified as Ang.

First-time visitor Gifford Chee, 36, who was there with a group of friends, said he had heard of the food court’s reputation for satay through social media.

He said a good clean up and fresh coat of paint would do wonders for the run-down facility.

Satay seller Megat Amir Faizal Megat Zulkarnain, 25, said performing basic repairs as well as addressing the hygiene needs of Medan Sate would be a good start.

“We are not expecting a full renovation. If possible, the place should be preserved to maintain its ‘classic’ feel.”

MPKj corporate unit director Kamarul Izlan Sulaiman said the council had carried out a full inspection of Medan Sate to ascertain the repairs needed.

“A report has been submitted to the project management and facility unit for further action.”

MPKj said it had also found tenants to occupy two empty units at Medan Sate from Oct 1.

He said MPKj had been unable to respond in a timely manner to complaints made by stall operators due to budget restrictions.

However, he assured that MPKj has plans to upgrade Medan Sate.

“It is still at the discussion stage,” Kamarul said.

“The upgrade may see the relocation of Medan Sate but nothing has been finalised yet. We will keep the public notified.”