RAMADAN trader lots are being resold for as much as RM15,000, claims Federation of Hawkers and Traders Associations of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman.
He said two types of trading lots are available during Ramadan — one for food or drink stalls and another for Aidilfitri goods.
Food and drink traders are charged a total of RM980 to operate at a DBKL-run bazaar.
This includes the RM30 licence fee, RM150 service charge, RM100 site rental, RM500 canopy rental and RM200 deposit.
For traders selling Aidilfitri goods, a 30-day lot costs RM2,700.
Despite these official rates, Rosli claimed brokers were actively reselling lots in popular trading areas, including Lorong Masjid India, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Jalan Raja Alang.
Screenshots of conversations purported to be between brokers and traders were sighted by StarMetro at the press conference.
He said lots in Lorong Masjid India were being resold for RM12,000 to RM15,000, while in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, prices ranged from RM3,500 to RM5,000.
In Jalan Raja Alang, traders were being offered lots for RM2,500 to RM2,700 by middlemen.
Rosli added that the situation had been made worse by a reduction in available bazaar sites under Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
"This year, only 40 bazaar locations have been opened under DBKL’s lottery or direct offer system, compared to 65 locations in previous years.
"The reduction has limited trading opportunities to just 2,116 traders across 11 parliamentary constituencies in Kuala Lumpur.
"In past years, bazaars were successfully managed across 65 locations, supporting up to 4,500 traders.
"With 25 fewer locations this year, more than 2,500 traders have been left without a stall," he said.
Rosli added that traders who had previously obtained lots for years were now struggling to secure a space.
“We are receiving complaints from traders who say that regular applicants are not getting lots through the newly implemented lottery system,” he said.
Rosli who is also president of the Bumiputera Traders and Hawkers of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Association also questioned how DBKL intended to curb these unauthorised transactions, given that complaints had been lodged previously with no action taken.
Foreign traders, he said, were also acquiring lots through intermediaries by hiring locals as “assistants” to register for stalls.
He pointed out that widespread reselling did not occur when the federation was managing the bazaars.
“For 10 years, while we organised them, no one complained of such activities,” he said.
He claimed that complaints only surfaced after DBKL took full control.
With many long-time traders failing to secure lots, Rosli warned that some might attempt to set up stalls illegally at popular locations.
This, he said, could lead to confrontations if enforcement remained weak.
DBKL has not responded to a request for comment at press time.
