By PRIYA MENON
priya@thestar.com.my
THE temporary lot in Jalan Chan Ah Tong, Brickfields reserved for 17 traders involved in the “Brickfields’ Little India’ project is still not ready for business.
Traders were given notices terminating their licences and told relocate to the barren field within 30 days.
However, after more than 20 days after the deadline, the said temporary location is still not ready for them.
All ears: Nurul Izzah (left) listening to the traders.Shocked and afraid of the consequences, the traders turned to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar for help recently.
“We have no problems moving to the location temporarily but there is nothing there to help us build the stalls,” said a food stall owner who declined to be named.
Nurul Izzah, who met some representatives on April 29, said the developer should get the site ready as promised.
“The traders were served the notice on April 6 asking them to move within the time but how can they run their business without basic amenities?”
“I hope Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, Datuk M. Saravanan can own up to his statements in the media,” she added.
Stakeholders of Brickfields are also unsure of the exact locations for the various projects related to the Little India project.
“All we have are verbal statements pertaining to this issue. Nobody knows where the exact location for the food court and other new structures in the area,” said S. Paranjothy, who represented the traders.
Nurul Izzah said she would request for a blueprint of all the development set to take place in the area so that everyone would have a clear picture of the issue.
“Nobody is against development but it should not be at the expense of the people. Traders have to know if they will be affected by the overhaul,” she added.
Nurul Izzah also said their next course of action would be to approach Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to solve the “Little India” problem as well as the one-way street proposal along Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad.
“We want to know the developments after the PM’s political secretary met 40 non-governmental organisations of Brickfields some weeks ago,” she said.
