Rival traders against stalls outside Ambiga's house

A group of traders on Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman in the heart of Kuala Lumpur has voiced displeasure with the move by the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council to set up stalls in front of Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga's house.

"This will have a negative impact... It gives us a bad name and we disagree with it.

"We are independent, apolitical and just trying to earn a living... if you want to play politics, stop trading and go into politics," said a trader, who declined to be named.

"Don't use the Tuanku Abdul Rahman petty traders platform. Use another name instead."

The group also expressed concern that such a protest would drive customers away from the Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman hawkers' market, which is held every Saturday.

The action council, led by group president Jamal Md Yunus, intends to sell various goods, food and drinks in front of Ambiga's house today and tomorrow to "recoup losses suffered" during the Bersih 3.0 rally.

Hawkers no consulted

Contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday, the group of Lorong TAR petty traders estimated that about 95 percent of about 300 hawkers, who set up businesses on the road sides, are nonchalant over Jamal's plans.

They claimed they were not consulted on the idea, but only found out about the event through banners and pamphlets that were distributed to them.

"You can even count it with your fingers - no more than 10 hawkers support Jamal," another trader said when asked about the number of them joining Jamal (left), who owns a luxury car business and restaurant chain but claimed to hold ahawker licence in Jalan TAR.

Recalling the rally on April 28, he said about half of the traders in Lorong TAR conducted their business as usual until a police officer ordered them to stop, saying there were "disturbances".

"There was no instruction from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall," said the hawker, who claimed that the police order was made because they were perceived to be sheltering the Bersih protesters.