Bukit Bintang MP: Support letter was for empty lots at Ramadan bazaar

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun (pic) says that the support letter he issued for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was for empty lots at the Ramadan bazaar in Jalan Masjid India and not for additional lots.

Commenting on the Ramadan bazaar fiasco involving Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia Youth leader Mohd Noorhisyam Abd Karim, Fong said his letter was meant to urge Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to release any empty lots to poor and needy traders.

“Mohd Noorhisyam came to my service centre on May 31 saying he was representing 80 poor Malay traders who requested help to set up stalls at the bazaar,” said Fong

He added that he sent the letter to DBKL saying that he did not have any objections to the request and asked DBKL to consider it.

“DBKL replied with two options; the first being that the empty lots were offered through balloting or a new bazaar location would be opened at Wakaf Buta,” he said after lodging a report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

He again stressed that no money was exchanged between him and Mohd Noorhisyam.

The scandal erupted after Mohd Noor­hisyam was accused of misusing political connections to secure 80 bazaar lots for RM6,238.40.

He allegedly rented them out for as high as RM5,000 a lot through middlemen.

DBKL gave approval for the lots to operate from June 6 to 14, from 11am to 11pm.