SERDANG: Street vendor Muhamad Za’imuddin Azlan, who was allegedly manhandled by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers, will receive support to obtain a hawker’s licence once he recovers, says Federal Territories PKR chairman Datuk Azman Abidin.
This was to help the balloon seller, nicknamed by netizens as ‘Abang Belon’, whose altercation with DBKL officers grabbed headlines, earn a stable livelihood for himself and his family, he said.
“We have assured him that once he recovers, he can meet me, and we (FT PKR) will assist him in obtaining a hawker’s licence,” he told reporters, Bernama reported.
Azman paid a visit and delivered aid to the 29-year-old, who is currently being treated at Hospital Sultan Idris Shah here.
A viral video of the confrontation last Friday showed Muhamad Za’imuddin being tackled to the ground by a group of DBKL officers.
DBKL later stated that the incident occurred after the vendor allegedly refused to cooperate with officers who had supposedly warned him twice to stop hawking without a licence.
When the officers confronted the hawker a third time, it led to an argument and DBKL claimed he acted aggressively towards the team.
In a video, the trader has denied claims that he was warned three times by the officers before the scuffle.
“It’s not true as I was afraid of them because I did not have a valid licence and knew my goods would be seized,” Sinar Harian reported Muhamad Za’imuddin as saying.
“I was indeed doing business without a licence because I did not know the correct application process,” he said.
At the hospital yesterday, Azman, who is also the Prime Minister’s political secretary, said that the vendor remains bedridden but can communicate clearly.
He also reminded hawkers and local council officers to operate within the framework of the law.
“Many unlicensed vendors simply don’t know how to apply for a permit.
“That’s why we need to work together with hawkers’ associations and NGOs to assist them, including DBKL, in making the licensing process easier while ensuring they operate in suitable locations,” he said.
Azman also conveyed well wishes from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who advised Muhamad Za’imuddin to remain patient and allow authorities to investigate the incident.
