Jerry setting up his stall at the Donggongon tamu in Penampang; and Cosmas.
AS dawn breaks over the rolling hills in Penampang, Cosmas Boging starts to unload crates of fresh vegetables and fruits to catch the early crowd at the Donggongon tamu (traditional market) in this semi-rural Sabah district.
It’s Wednesday morning and Cosmas has been sleeping in his beat up four-wheel drive vehicle after driving through the night from his village in the interior Tambunan district, some 70km away from Penampang.
He has been a permanent fixture at the market, which operates from Wednesdays to Fridays, using his transport as his resting quarters throughout the duration before making his way back uphill to Tambunan.
This has been a ritual for the 52-year-old every week for the last over 20 years.
Suffice to say, it is back-breaking work. But Cosmas’ resolve is unflagging, not just to earn a living but in pursuit of a better life for his family.
However, his journey has been made more difficult of late.
After weathering through rising prices of fuel and raw material amid unpredictable sales over the years, he and other local traders like him now have to shoulder another cost of doing business: parking.
This was after the Penampang Municipal Council (MPP) imposed new parking charges, which came into effect in July – a move that coincided with its elevation from a district council earlier this year.
“That’s the reason why I sleep in my car, so that I don’t have to spend money for accommodation. Cari makan bah bos, kasihan orang kampung (I’m only earning a living, pity the village people).
“This new parking rate came as a blow to us local traders,” Cosmas said, adding many others like him also spend their nights in their cars to save money.
Selling vegetables to his customers.
The tamu in Donggongon, the administrative hub of Penampang, brings local traders from near and far who sell everything from fresh produce and meat to foodstuff as well as clothing to local handicraft, just to name some.
But now the traders fear the parking issue will threaten their business as the new charges could also hinder customers from frequenting the market.
The charges vary according to the colour code of the parking bays. But the community feels the 75sen for every half-an-hour rate, or RM1.50 for one hour of parking in the yellow lots, is particularly high.
This was more so when compared to similar parking in the capital city Kota Kinabalu, which is RM1 per hour, or 50sen for every 30 minutes.
While there are cheaper 30sen-an-hour blue parking lots in Donggongon, they are limited and farther away from shops as opposed to the yellow ones, which are more common near the commercial areas including the tamu.
Cosmas said 75sen might not sound much to some but to people who struggle to make ends meet like him, it could cost his and his family’s lifeline.
“That means each week I need to pay RM40.50 for three days of parking from 8am to 5pm. That comes up to more than RM150 a month.
“Sometimes I have good days where I can make RM800 gross profit but that is assuming the best because in reality, our sales are never certain as we sell almost the same items like vegetables and fruits.
“I also need to cover other expenses like fuel and buying fresh produce.
“Showering in the public toilets here also costs RM2 now. But I don’t want to complain too much. Like the other traders, I am just asking for help,” Cosmas said.There is, however, some hope on the horizon as Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick has asked the MPP to consider lowering the rates.
Benedick, who is also the federal Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister, said he hoped to see a reduced fee by next year.
In October, MPP president Francis Chong said they were reviewing and considering lowering the parking fees in certain areas following complaints from Penampang folk.
This was music to Jerry Jiniu’s ears as he is also feeling the pinch of the currently enforced parking fee.
The 67-year-old former civil servant had just started selling vegetables at the Donggongon tamu two years ago.
“We really hope the local authority will reduce the fee, or if possible, not charge traders at all for parking.
“This will definitely help small traders like me whose sales are always up and down. More down actually,” he said.
Cosmas also expressed gratitude to Benedick and the MPP president for listening to the plight of some 150 tamu sellers.
“We have also written to the MPP to request if they could have a special rate for traders who have been operating here for the last 20 to 30 years,” he said.
