PETALING JAYA: A proposal requiring Ramadan bazaar stall assistants to be family members could end unauthorised licence trading in Kuala Lumpur, where sites sell for up to RM30,000.
According to Scoop, Malaysian Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Associations president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman said this would help end the longstanding practice of buying and selling bazaar sites.
“This is not new; it has been happening for years. It involves traders selling Ramadan bazaar sites to third parties, sometimes for as much as RM30,000,“ he added.
“If a person obtains a bazaar lot, only their siblings or immediate family members can be listed as assistants.”
READ MORE: Revoke Ramadan bazaar licence if traders sell it - PM
The unauthorised sales occur primarily on Jalan Masjid India, involving traders selling Eid preparations such as clothing and jewellery, and that the practice does not involve food vendors or iftar meal sellers.
Traders currently evade enforcement by registering original licence holders as stall assistants.
“This way, enforcement officers cannot take action because the licence holder’s name remains on record, even though they are only a stall assistant.
“They are merely a front, profiting from selling the site to other traders,“ he said.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ordered Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to revoke business licences of traders who transfer them to third parties.
In January, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced DBKL would fully manage business licence applications and Ramadan bazaar operations to ensure fair site rental prices.
Rosli also emphasised that the association is not involved in these sales, contrary to some claims.
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