KUALA LUMPUR: Traders lost about 50 to 70 per cent of their sales following the sinkhole incident along Jalan Masjid India last Friday, with some willing to stop operations temporarily to avoid bigger losses.
Last Friday, an Indian woman known as Vijayaletchumy, 48, went missing after falling into an eight-metre deep hole following the sinkhole incident on Jalan Masjid India.
A foodstall owner, Md Daud Mohd Jonid, 61, told Bernama that his business has deteriorated with sales falling by up to 50 per cent after the unfortunate incident that befell the Indian woman.
He said in the evening after the incident last Friday, there was a water supply disruption and it lasted until Saturday causing his business to close and the situation worsened after it was reported that there was another sinkhole near the area.
“Yesterday (August 28), my sales fell by almost half (50 per cent), today (August 29) (our sales) are even worse. On normal days my sales are over RM3,000 a day, yesterday (August 28) I only made RM2,000.
“This thing (incident) was not planned, earlier, I had a discussion with my workers about closing the shop temporarily. If the workers are given leave and are not paid, they will not be able to stand for long and will look for other work to survive,“ he said.
Md Daud, who has been doing business in the area for almost 28 years, said among the problems that he faced is providing wages for daily workers even if the business operations are not profitable.
“My employees’ salary is RM700 per day (for all six employees), if I don’t open for business I still have to prepare the money, if I have to use my own money for a day or two it’s still okay,“ he said.
He said, even using a food delivery service, due to strict controls and the presence of a lot of yellow tapes, it make their movement even more difficult -- the riders also have to make a long detour to get to his shop.
“So far, I have only done business near here and have no plans to look for other areas.
“I hope that the government can help traders like us to recover, I believe this incident may not last long (just temporary, until found), if it can be resolved as soon as possible, I hope everything will be okay,“ he said.
Meanwhile, a small trader who sells jerseys, Nadiah Galib, said that in the past, her sales could reach RM200 per day, but after the sinkhole incident, she only makes RM20 per day.
“My business seems to be getting worse and if the number of visitors continues to drop, I may switch to doing business online like Shopee and Lazada.
“We are saddened by the incident that happened to the woman and we hope the government continues to take swift action and find her,“ she said.
In a similar predicament, Nurul Tasnim, a perfume dealer, said that sales have declined by almost 60 to 70 per cent since the incident and will switch to online business if she’s desperate.
“So far, I am still continuing business as usual and if the situation worsens, I am thinking of doing business online,“ she said.
Based on the writer’s observation, the area around Masjid India looks gloomy with very low flow of visitors and various types of businesses are not operating, in addition to strict control by the authorities around this area.
According to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, there is no need to declare Jalan Masjid India area where the sinkhole incident occurred as an unsafe and disaster zone.
He said to declare an area safe or not, the police need to obtain special permission from the National Security Council.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa assured the public that Kuala Lumpur is still safe.
Commenting on the concerns of some parties following the sinkhole incident on Jalan Masjid India last Friday, she however reminded the public to be careful when in the sinkhole incident area.
The Masjid India Business Association (MIBA) and Batu Road Retailers Association (BARRA) have urged that a meeting be held with the Ministry of Federal Territories, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and related departments soon.
BARRA head of communications Datin Rohana Mohammad Nasir said the meeting, among others, is to obtain security assurances in the area, as well as gather information on further enforcement actions.
She said the explanation and assurance is important because it will reassure residents and traders that the area is safe and under control while ensuring that the public continue to visit and shop there as before.
“Sit down and discuss with us what actions will be taken as soon as possible. We understand that the search for the victim is ongoing, while this is being undertaken, why is that no one has come to meet with the building owners and businesses.
“We feel upset as over the last seven days many government officials had come to hold conferences here but none of them invited us, business owners. Why?
“We are here 24 hours a day, we have lived here for decades, we know what the road condition is like, what the traffic condition is like, what the customer movement is like,“ she said.
“What is even more disheartening was when the Minister came here (to check the area) with the media but we are indeed prevented from meeting any Minister. Why?
“Besides, the pavements are starting to be uneven, so if this continues I think many more undesirable things will happen,“ she said.
MIBA secretary Mohamad Shaifudeen said that the uneven roads are a serious issue and cannot be easily resolved, while the patching up work would also take time.
“If they rush into it, if they make a quick decision, it is not effective, we are worried because near here the road users include children, and those in wheelchairs.
“We are worried about the future. If we rush today, it is useless because in the future we are worried that it will happen again,“ he said.
Among the questions from customers is that, “Is it safe to come?”, he said.
Earlier, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif informed that the area on Jalan Masjid India is safe and under control after being confirmed by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.
Mohamad Shaifudeen viewed that the safety concerns have only become an issue recently. “I think we also overlook, we thought the road is fine until the incident last Friday, indeed we were all surprised, very worried.
“We have informed the authorities, please complete the mapping, at least the roads that are not involved we feel are safe, certified by the geologist, if there are safe roads, leave it out, at least people do not have to go round 100 metres, 200 metres, shops can also operate as usual.
The search and rescue operation is still ongoing and has entered its eighth day.
