VIDEOS showing demolition and structural modification work at a hawker area near Sentul's Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) spread rapidly on social media, prompting widespread concern that a nearly 30-year-old trading site was being cleared for good.
The stalls at Jalan 3/48A have long been a gathering point for local residents, making the sight of workers dismantling structures there all the more alarming for the community.
Is it true that the Sentul UTC hawker area was torn down to clear vendors out permanently?
Verdict:
FALSE
Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) said the demolition and structural modification work at hawker stalls along Jalan 3/48A, near the Sentul UTC, was not intended to end vendor activity at the site.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud said the work was part of a redevelopment process under the Lestari Niaga programme, which aims to improve hawker facilities and create a safer, more organised and conducive business environment. He made the remarks at a press conference held at the location.
The hawker area has served the local community for nearly 30 years and remains a popular spot for residents.
Fadlun said the claim that the demolition was carried out hastily was inaccurate, as project planning had begun the previous year.
Several rounds of discussions and engagement sessions were held with vendors and stakeholders, with the final session taking place on Feb 10.
"Based on DBKL's records, this area involves 33 hawker structures, with 20 vendors identified as still actively running their businesses," said Fadlun.
"The structural modification work currently under way is a necessary step to enable the rebuilding of facilities that are safer, more organised and meet the needs of all parties," he said.
He said that in the early stages, several options including relocation to alternative sites were studied.
"At the early stage, several options including placement at alternative locations were studied.
"However, after taking into account the views of the vendors, location factors, customer access and the needs of the local community, DBKL decided to redevelop the hawker facilities at the same site," said Fadlun.
He said 20 new stalls would be built, complete with water and electricity supply, a covered dining area, better lighting, handwashing facilities, waste management facilities and an improved drainage system.
DBKL also introduced a special monthly allowance of RM1,500 for each affected vendor for the duration of the redevelopment.
"The previous approach was to provide vendors with temporary locations, but this involved higher costs, and some sites were less strategic and did not attract the same number of customers as the original location.
"Therefore, DBKL chose to channel financial assistance directly to the vendors and to ensure they can return to trading at the same location once the project is completed within three months," said Fadlun.
