KUALA LUMPUR: Angry business operators and residents held three separate demonstrations against Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) yesterday, demanding explanations for recent actions by the city's administrators.
Wielding banners and placards, protestors from Taman Desa Setapak, Kampung Abdullah Hukum and the Kampung Baru Weekend Market Traders and Welfare Association staged their demonstrations at different venues in the city.
Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk M. Saravanan was confronted by a group of traders and opposition MPs at the DBKL building around 11am who claimed DBKL was being high-handed in dealing with the business folks.
The Pakatan Rakyat MPs were Wee Choo Keong, Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun, Lim Lip Eng, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Loh Gwo Burne and Zuraida Kamarudin.
Signs of dissatisfaction: (front row from left) Tan, Dr Tan, Bandar Tun Razak MP Tan Sri KhalidIbrahim’s personal assistant Azman Abidin, Zuraida Kamaruddin and Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnanlistening to Wee at the Taman Desa Setapak traders demonstration at the KL City Hall Friday.A shouting match ensued when Wee demanded that Saravanan resolve the traders' problem.
Traders from Taman Desa Setapak claimed DBKL’s planning department officers had demolished their stalls on May 21, despite a promise from director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup that the demolition would be put on hold for two weeks.
Personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit were on standby, and no untoward incidents were reported.
Another 30 residents from Kampung Abdullah Hukum gathered at Dataran Merdeka at 10.30am and marched to DBKL, demanding that authorities fulfil their promise to provide them units at an apartment project.
The group, representing 130 households, were in a dilemma over the uncertainty of the status of their promised homes at Apartment Abdullah Hukum.
They are now renting houses while waiting for their housing units and were supposed to have shifted to their new apartment units a year ago.
Earlier at 9.30am, the Kampung Baru Weekend Market Traders and Welfare Association held its demonstration at Jalan Raja Muda Musa, protesting DBKL's move to demolish part of the market in the area for a development project.
DBKL issued a notice to 32 traders operating at the site on May 8, telling them to vacate the site on or before May 22.
Related story:Kuala Lumpur City Hall under siege
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