UNHAPPY FISHMONGERS ALONG SULAMAN HIGHWAY, KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

FISHMONGERS…..Edward and MP Hiew speaking to fishmongers on the Sulaman Highway.

THE MANY fishmongers who are selling fishes along the Kota Kinabalu Sulaman Highway road side for almost seven years, now are being asked to move up to the private hawkers stalls behind. They were given notice not to sell along the road side.

The fishmongers here felt that they could not afford to pay for the expensive rental of RM 450 per month to the private stall owner, and it is free along the road side. They said it is hard to make a living here and it is more convenient for their customers to park along the road to buy their fish and vegetables.

Sabah DAP KK MP Hiew King Cheu and the Vice chairman Edward Ewol Mujie was on site to understand more about the complaints they received from the motorists who have complained about the many cars parked along the road side while buying their needs from the stalls.

Edward asked why the cars had to park near to the highway and sometimes obstructing the flow of traffic. The hawkers said there are many cars during peak hours and there is also no proper arrangement for the cars parking here along the road side.

Hiew said he feels the problem can be arranged to a proper order if the authorities can come to help the many stalls here. The DBKK and JKR could provide some temporary measure to solve the car parking problems here. It is not difficult to get the problem solved, but the authorities must help these people who try to earn a living here.

PARK…. Car park on the road side.

Hiew suggested to them for the short term solution that the hawkers can deploy somebody to control the cars and park them properly along the road. There are many cars during peak hours, especially after office hours. The drivers will have to corporate by parking their cars orderly along the road. This can endanger the other cars on the highway.

The long term solution to the problem for these road side stalls is for the government to find a suitable place to build a better market to house them. The residents in this area is swelling at a very fast rate, especially the housing developments are completing fast.

It is time for the DBKK to build a market for this area along the Sulaman Highway after the UMS and 1-Borneo towards the Sepanggar Road junction. If this problem is not solved and planned properly, there will be more troubles and more road side stalls will spring up.

Edward asked the hawkers and fishmongers to be patient for a little while longer because if this BN government cannot help them to ease the situation, then after the next general election if Pakatan Rakyat forms the new government, PR will definitely help them to have a better place to earn a living and do business.

- Sabahkini