Forgotten hub: Only a few stalls are open, and footfall is low, at the Section 14 food court in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
TWO municipal food court complexes opened in the 1960s –Section 14’s market and food court complex and Taman Selera Jalan Othman – were once the beating heart of local commerce, guaranteeing cheap rent and good food in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Today, the complexes managed by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) are mere shadows of what they were in their heyday, suffering from dwindling customers and the creeping decay of time.
Taman Selera Jalan Othman first opened its doors in the 1960s. — Photos: AIDA AHMAD, SAMUEL ONG and MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
Empty lots and storage
The problem at the Section 14 complex is stark: downstairs, 39 market stalls are vacant; upstairs, most of the hawker stalls are shuttered.
For those who remain, the low rent (as little as RM200) is a lifeline, but the lack of activity is crippling.
Lokman says rent not a problem, but Section 14 food court is empty.
Lokman Musa, 30, who runs “Gerai Minuman Abang Mus” after taking over from his father, perfectly captures the paradox.
“The rent is not a problem,” he said, “but this place is empty.”
On a good day, he makes about RM300 selling drinks and simple fare like roti bakar and eggs.
He said his brother had in fact opened a chicken rice stall that lasted only four months.
“Business was so poor,” said Lokman.
The problem isn’t just a lack of customers; it’s a perceived lack of care.
Nirmala and Vasudevan at their stall.
Nirmala Narayanan, 65, who sells Indian fare like thosai, idli and curries, laments the poor upkeep.
“There are so many empty lots. We don’t know what these are being used for.
“This becomes a problem when we see pests scurrying about,” she said.
She suggested that MBPJ close the complex for a thorough, one- or two-day deep clean.
Nirmala also cited the perennial customer complaint: lack of parking despite the area having street parking, multi-storey city council parking and the mall carpark nearby.
Her nephew, BS Vasudevan, 50, who helps Nirmala out, voiced a frustration shared by traders.
When they tried to rent an adjacent long-closed lot, he said MBPJ told them it was “occupied and rented out”.
This has led to the persistent suspicion that many of these “rented” lots are simply being used as cheap storage units, freezing out genuine, prospective hawkers.
Vasudevan also questions why MBPJ permits food trucks to operate outside the complex when so many spaces remain empty inside.
“More activities should be done inside the complex to encourage people to visit,” he urged the city council.
On the lower floor, the lack of maintenance impacts even non-food businesses.
Nor Aishah (right) and Faizal Azmi say their regular customers are elderly and have trouble with stairs at the Section 14 complex.
Faizal Azmi, 40, and his wife Nor Aishah Adnan, 34, who run clothing alteration shop Aishah Astana, highlighted a critical accessibility issue, with the complex only served by stairs from street level.
“Our customers are mostly elderly people, and some of them are unable to climb and descend the stairs,” said Aishah.
The pair often have to carry items down to their customers waiting in cars, underlining the need for a major refurbishment to include accessibility for people with disabilities.
At Taman Selera Jalan Othman, the number of customers has dwindled greatly after the pandemic.
Cultural shift
Amid the emptiness, a few businesses stand as beacons of resilience.
Yap Shee Chan, 60, who manages drink stall “Ah Sing” which is her late father-in-law’s legacy, acknowledged the cultural shift.
“You won’t see the young generation visiting this old market, what with the modern cafe culture now.”
Despite the slowdown, Yap stayed, saying: “All my children are working, so what else is there for me to do?”
Then there is the anomaly: Haleel Rahuman Zainudin, 63, and his “Penang Pohpiah Basah” stall.
Unperturbed by the complex’s issues, he enjoys a steady stream of customers, selling between 200 and 300 of his RM1.60 popiah daily, a number that triples during Ramadan.
A food truck in the Section 14 commercial area, near the entrance to the market and food court complex.
Haleel, who took over from his uncle in the 1980s, simply focuses on his craft: waking at dawn and working until his tasty, spicy-sweet rolls sell out.
Meanwhile, “Aniess Kitchen” caters to a niche crowd comprising night-shift workers and early risers craving ubi rebus and Johor laksa on the weekends.
Run by Siti Rohaniah Mohd Taib, 58, and her friends, Jamal Aripin, 63, and Katrina G, 65, the stall opens as early as 4am.
Siti Rohaniah pointed to a major obstacle: the ban on foreign workers in local council-managed food courts.
“It is difficult to find locals to help out.
“Luckily I have my friends,” she said, noting the irony that restaurants are permitted to hire foreign labour while she is left struggling with a sick husband at home.
Aminah Stapa believes consumers have too many choices outside Taman Selera Jalan Othman.
At Taman Selera Jalan Othman, a complex with 52 lots, Aminah Stapa has run her nasi campur stall for 30 years.
Though her monthly rent is only RM160, business has “massively dropped” since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 66-year-old believes people now have too many choices outside the complex.
While she acknowledges some repairs like fan installations and leakage fixes years ago, Aminah said the general decline remained.
Mobile competition
The struggles of the indoor vendors are sharply contrasted by the brisk business just outside the complex walls.
Lingeswaran Loganathan, 65, who runs a kacang putih stall outside the Section 14 complex, is doing well.
Customers, he said, find the complex “dark and dingy”.
This sentiment is echoed by food truck operator A. Ashraf, who works nearby and pays RM3,000 in rent annually.
This is just a little more than what the traders at the complex fork out.
He bluntly stated that moving into the food court would end his business.
“The food court is not maintained properly and not vibrant.
“While my business dropped after the pandemic, I still get customers lining up,” said Ashraf.
“The lesson here,” he quipped, “is brutal: in commerce, visibility and vibrancy are key.”
MBPJ’s stand
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon acknowledged the challenges faced by these traders.
He noted the perplexing numbers: in the Section 14 hawker centre, 23 of the 42 upper-floor lots are empty, and 16 of the 44 lower-floor stalls are vacant.
Mohamad Zahri acknowledges challenges faced by traders.
He is keen to address the core issue of the “occupied but closed” lots.
His message to non-compliant traders is clear: “If you are doing business, don’t abuse it.”
He stated that MBPJ’s enforcement teams checked stalls eight times a month and would cancel rental agreements for tenants using lots solely for storage.
He outlined an ongoing cleaning schedule, with the Health Department monitoring pest control in common areas and tenants being held responsible for keeping their own lots and grease traps clean.
To increase footfall, Mohamad Zahri promotes flexibility, encouraging vendors to rent two adjacent lots and offering direct, no-interview applications.
He also mentioned MBPJ’s efforts to help traders help themselves, including offering free entrepreneurship classes three times a year to teach them about online marketing and business skills.
Crucially, he promised an upcoming “engagement session” with the traders from both food courts to collaboratively find solutions to all their issues.
