Half Tg Aru hawkers against being relocated
Published on: Thursday, February 22, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Half the hawkers at the Tanjung Aru Food Court, who were given until Feb 28 to move out, urged the Government to reconsider and allow them to remain there or operate somewhere within Tanjung Aru. Several of the hawkers who turned up for a dialogue called by Parti Warisan Sabah Vice President Junz Wong, Wednesday, said they preferred Tanjung Aru because that was where most of them have been doing business for the past 30 years or so. They also hoped the Mayor and the Tanjung Aru Assemblyman could find time to discuss the matter with them. ADVERTISEMENT Preliminary plans were to relocate all the hawkers to Tanjung Aru Plaza, about a kilometre away, after the food court was announced to be closed on June 1, 2016. This was to make way for the multi-billion ringgit Tanjung Aru Eco-Development project which will transform Tanjung Aru into one of the region's best tourism spots. It was reported that 37 out of 72 hawkers agreed to set up stalls at the new venue.Hawkers who chose to remain at the food court were given two months' notice to move to Anjung Perdana Tanjung Lipat, in Likas, once they have settled all outstanding fees. ADVERTISEMENT However, many were unwilling to move for several reasons, among them the lack of sufficient parking space, limited space, the area not disabled-friendly and was prone to floods. They also said there are only 24 stalls at the "new" venue, adding that the number was not sufficient to accommodate the number of hawkers from Tanjung Aru.
ADVERTISEMENT
Meanwhile, Junz said existing hawkers at Anjung Selera Tanjung Lipat were also asked to vacate the site to make way for the redevelopment of the premises.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
"How do they expect to accommodate the hawkers from Likas and Tanjung Aru at the said premises, when the venue itself has insufficient stalls," he said. The Likas Assemblyman also urged the Government to reveal details of the plans for the site. - Sherell Jeffrey