Melaka Mayor asked to look into road safety issues on first day of work

MELAKA: On his first day as Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) Mayor, Datuk Shadan Othman has received a request from Klebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong to look into road safety issues at Kampung Pinang here after a car rammed into a stall in the area.

Lim said he was putting in the plea to Shadan on behalf of roadside business operators to enhance safety issues after a car rammed into a stall selling traditional condiments such as belacan paste at 12.15pm on Tuesday (Jan 31).

"The area is prone to accidents due to an increase in the volume of vehicles," he said after visiting the victims on Wednesday (Feb 1).

Stall owner Abu Bakar Abd Aziz, 56, escaped unhurt while his wife Junaidah Maarof, 45, and their daughter Rabiatul Adawiyah Abu Bakar, 23, suffered minor injuries in the incident.

Lim handed over financial assistance to Abu Bakar after he incurred heavy losses due to the incident.

The stalls along the roadside are managed by MBMB.

Abu Bakar said he suffered about RM20,000 in losses, including two motorcycles which were damaged in the incident.

He said his wife and daughter were trapped under the debris and it took him 15 minutes to rescue them before an ambulance arrived and rushed them to the hospital.

Earlier, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of Shadan and two other new council presidents.

The two are Datin Sapiah Haron who is now the Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council president and Jasin Municipal Council president Rosmanizam Mohd Nalif @ Zawawi, who replaced Sapiah.