Petty traders preparing for the annual Deepavali bazaar in Little India, Brickfields, faced a setback on Wednesday (Oct 1) morning when several tents collapsed following heavy rain and strong winds.
The makeshift stalls, set up just four days before the bazaar was due to open, were left crumpled along the walkway on Jalan Tun Sambanthan.
Traders said the structures were flimsy and poorly secured.
“We were disappointed. It seemed like it was done in a rush. We knew this was going to happen, and it did,” said Persatuan Prihatin Peniaga Kecil Little India secretary P. Thinakaran.
Officers from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) were at the site soon after the incident to rectify the situation.
This year’s Deepavali bazaar was marred by weeks of tension after shopowners protested a balloting exercise that allocated prime spots in front of their premises to outsiders.
It also marked the first time in more than a decade that DBKL took full control of the festive bazaar as part of its policy to centralise the management of all festive bazaars in the city.
DBKL said the policy was introduced following repeated disputes over lot distribution.
Previously, the allocation and management of bazaar lots were handled by the respective traders’ associations in each area.
Many shopowners were unhappy with the new balloting system, saying it denied them the chance to trade directly outside their own premises.
They argued that the change created unfair competition and threatened their festive-season sales.
The dispute prompted Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa to step in.
After meeting with shopowners and traders, she directed DBKL to review the arrangement.
It was decided later that shopowners along Jalan Tun Sambanthan may trade outside their own shops.
At the same time, the 44 ballot winners are maintained along the same stretch, with one lane of the road closed throughout the duration of the bazaar.
Dr Zaliha described the revised arrangement as a “win-win solution” and said it would apply only this year, while instructing DBKL to engage stakeholders before future bazaars.
However, many traders were unhappy with the tents, which they said were wobbly and smaller than promised.
“We were expecting 10ft by 10ft tents, but we only got 8ft by 8ft. We need the space to trade comfortably and safely,” said trader K. Arun.
“The placement of the bazaar on the main road is also very dangerous, as the Little India stretch is a high-traffic area.
The Deepavali bazaar runs until Oct 19 and features 140 stalls across Jalan Bunus, Masjid India, Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Rakyat.
The bazaar was scheduled to start on Monday, but traders said they would only begin setting up their products about 10 days before Deepavali.
