Penangites may have heard of a few ikan bakar stalls and seafood stalls being torn down these few days. I was passing by Tesco when that the 3N Ikan Bakar was being demolished. And across my house, there is the Doremi stall by the beach. Hammer Bay is the next one to go.
While it looks bad that these stall owners will have to suffer losses, there is another side of the story. People who live in the Hammer Bay area had complained of stench from clogged drain and rubbish. Then, there is the traffic congestion near the Gold Coast area. This is what the people who lived there tell me (not I parrot from politicians’ mouths)
Yesterday evening, I was notified of a state agencies meeting with the CM. Since Jimmy cannot make it (I usually do not do CJ on weekends), I decided to cover because I wanted to interview PKR adun or MPs.
There was a protest going on. There was an sms going around, asking Malays to bring lastik to the protest as a symbol of the fight between Palestine and Israel. I don’t want to comment on that. You can watch the video. All five of them turned up.
Then, there is the explanation from the District Officer on the demolition of these stalls. Apparently, these stalls have been given notices to move to a hawker centre for more than five years already. I think it is easy for us to point fingers if we are not directly affected by illegal hawkers. But if we do, I suppose we will also make complaints to our respective Aduns.
With the Pakatan Rakyat, the Aduns are probably more effective and hence, there are rules and regulations to be carried out. These illegal hawkers are provided hawker stalls to move to. So, I guess there is always two sides to a story. I have seen some very racial, provocative and full of hatred comments on forums and blogs about the demolitions of these stalls. I am glad I heard the explanations from the state agencies involved as well.
Hi Lilian,
It’s abt time that something was done. There are 2 more makeshift stalls on the coastal highway just right opposite Tesco. One creates terrible jam every morning as patrons who drive big trucks, lorries, dumptrucks park at the side of the highway! There is no road courtesy in these people at all, but just waiting for any untoward accidents to happen!
I agree,if you are not directly affected by the so-called illegal hawkers, you will tend to feel for them, but i believe there are rules and regulations to follow.
and these rules and regulations should be applied regardless of race.
We need to change our mentality, which one do we want,a nice state to live in or otherwise.
By the way,the illegal road side stalls will all have to go too,
These days, everything can be used to the politician advantage by saying it is racial. This has been happening in Penang far too long. When a Malay stall is affected, UMNO comes to the rescue. When a Chinese one is involved MCA or Gerakan wants to be the hero. I understand that it came to a point that MPPP staff give up.
Yes, the stalls along the expressway near Tesco have been there illegally too long. Imagine the big signs saying that one cannot wait and park but no one bothers.
This goons are from a party tht is causing problem to DAP. Whn they rule they do the same thing to other people but this are the people tht are racist. Just saying not being racist already seeen as racist cos it only deal with 1 race.
How to promote 1Malaysia like tht.
Really how to achieve when we have people thinking like this.
I am sure the police would be following this blog. Isn’t what the guy (Students union president) said should be considered as seditous especially when he is fanning up racial issues ?
I happen to be at the Gold Coast place recently (first and last time). The place is full of “shit” Had to use the toilet and notice that everything goes into the sea to become food for the seafood. Problem is that many of the illegal businesses always say that they have been in business for so long and ask why action is being taken now. It seems like it is one’s right to break the law and then expect to make legal what had been illegal in the first place
Put it another way. If anyone of you were in DAP, PKR, PAS, would you let anyone of your colleagues do something as stupid as being racist, even unintentionally, against hawkers? Its not about intent or bias, its about stupidity? How stupid would anyone be to do it? You want to be racist, do it with a contract or project that involve only a few people, otherwise its just plain STUPID for anyone in PR to let it happen and PR have to get rid of that person if they are to survive..
Frankly, I don’t buy the crap that all those tenders where the Malays won 70% of the contract were based ABSOLUTELY merit. NOT that I think the Malays chosen were not good enough for the jobs or even not deserve it. I think LGE at least made sure it came out somewhere near that.If I were him and I think I speak for most non-bumis mgrs in this country with some leeways, I would do that..
Bigjoe – I don’t get what you are trying to say in the first para. But I guess since time immemorial, all these Bumi contractors have been in business and within these two years, not many Chinese have bothered to compete anymore. That’s why there is such a huge disparity? That’s my logic. Chinese wud be doing their own business and such or they are Alibaba companies. I have seen those a lot where the driver is a shareholder with the Chinese taukay kakakaka.
malaysians always complained about lack of transparency and proclaim to want good governance. in reality, malaysians cannot handle good governance.
Readin the Star today that there will be a protest in KOMTAR this friday. Those guys keep saying that the state government has discriminated. If itis really not a case of discrimination, will the mata-mata haul up them up for sedition ?