The city council is continuing to monitor Ramadan bazaars in Petaling Jaya. — Filepic
A PROPOSAL for a second night market in the PJU1 area of Petaling Jaya, Selangor, is not completely off the table.
During the tabling of minutes for the business control and entrepreneur development committee meeting, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Zone 7 councillor John Leong clarified that the night market idea was being reconsidered and had not been completely rejected.
“The council’s regulation states that no new night markets can be established if there is an existing one in the area.
“But I believe the city council may be agreeable to the proposal if the existing market is relocated and expanded, in a more suitable location,” he said.
Leong explained that the existing night market held every Wednesday in Jalan PJU1/5, Kampung Chempaka, offered a total of 80 lots but had not been fully taken up.
“The proposal is for the night market to be relocated to Jalan PJU1/3F and Jalan PJU1/3B in SunwayMas, which can accommodate more traders, and for it to be held on a Saturday.”
Leong said the proposed location had sufficient parking space for visitors, and having it on a weekend would make it economically viable.
Separately, 940 offences were recorded by MBPJ at Ramadan bazaars under its purview, most of which were for matters related to hygiene and licensing.
“Common offences included not wearing aprons, caps or proper footwear (218 cases) and not preparing proper rubbish bins (205).
“Some traders also failed to display their business licences (22),” said Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon after chairing MBPJ’s full board meeting at its headquarters.
MBPJ Licensing Department director Sharinaz Samsudin said other offences included not properly registering details of stall assistants (176), not having valid TY2 typhoid vaccination certifications (165), hiring foreign workers as stall assistants (72) and not trading at the correctly assigned spot (59).
“As of March 23, the council issued a total of 584 notices, compounds and seizures at various Ramadan bazaar locations under the MBPJ Traders Bylaw 2007,” said Sharinaz.
Mohamad Zahri said, “To date, we have not received any report about stalls being sublet to foreigners.
“If we do receive such a report, I will personally check on the complaint.”
He added that MBPJ had nearly 100 personnel stationed at its Ramadan bazaars for monitoring purposes.
MBPJ offered 1,260 trading lots across 18 Ramadan bazaar locations this year.
A total of 1,108 lots or 88% were taken up.
