By B Nantha Kumar
FRI, 22 OCT 2010 11:34
KUALA LUMPUR: Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar is urging Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to deal directly with traders in Brickfields.
She said middlemen had become an incessant problem for traders who do business in the area during Deepavali festival season as they block space and re-rent the lots for a higher rate.
Speaking to reporters after a routine visit to traders in and around Brickfield yesterday, Nurul said every year the traders complained about doing business in the area during the festive season because of the high rents.
“Our study has shown that the rents for each lot (with a tent) goes up to RM2,400. This is too high for traders around here.This problem is often repeated because DBKL appoints Kuala Lumpur Indian United Traders Association (Brickfield) as the middleman in the business of renting”, she said.
She added that the original rate for each lot was from RM700 to RM800.
But the association charges RM2,400 per tent and locates three tenants within this space.
Several tenants have complained about the squeeze.
“I feel this is a problem that can be avoided. The traders who come in during the festivities are not big-timers. These are temporary business or starter-ups. The high rents put unnecessary financial pressure on them,” she said.
Easy and transparent
DBKL has provided 100 lots for temporary business, but the association with an eye on profits has tripled the lots available.
Nurul said she had sent a letter to DBKL on the matter and had urged the council to investigate the matter.
“There is no reason for a middleman in this case. DBKL should rent the lots directly to the traders as practised by the Klang Municipal Council.
“In Klang, all lots are chosen by the traders themselves by drawing lots. In this way, the process becomes easy and transparent,” she said.
Meanwhile, Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Deputy Minister M Saravanan, who coincidentally was also on visit to Brickfields, assured Nurul that the matter would be looked into.
FMT contacted the Kuala Lumpur Indian United Traders Association over Nurul’s statement but it denied any malpractice.
Its chairman Gobal Rajee said DBKL only provided tents at RM400 each. He said the association charged RM400 for electricity, garbage collection and administration fee for 30 days.
Gobal, however, did not elaborate on why the lots were tripled in the first place.
