Pork sellers cry foul after their section ignored during market repairs

 

Wangsa Maju MP Tan Yee Kew visited Pasar Jalan Genting Klang in her constituency today, only to find that while most of the wet market had undergone repair and renovation work, the section with pork sellers was still in dilapidated condition.

"This is a discriminatory practice. The discriminatory treatment is given to the pork section for renovation work, though a small incident, must be dealt with seriously to prevent any further misunderstanding and mistrust among our people.

"As a wakil rakyat and acting on behalf of all the tax and assessment payers of Wangsa Maju, I need an explanation from the mayor of Kuala Lumpur and the federal territories minister as to why the pork section was not included in the renovations," the PKR MP told Malaysiakini.

Tan said the market is more than 15 years old and was badly in need of repair work as there were roof damage and non-functioning lights as well as many other minor issues.

"Now the pasar has a new roof and a new coat of paint for the wall, as well as replacing the damaged ceiling and lighting. But the pork section still is in a deplorable condition, with leaking roof and gutters, broken ceiling full of spider webs and dust, and many ceiling lights not functioning," she said.

Tan claimed that following an earlier inspection at the market on Nov 8, she noticed this discrepancy and immediately highlighted the issue to the mayor and was promised the problems would be rectified.

"But to my great disappointment, nothing has been done since then despite my numerous follow-up reminders and memo to both Dato Bandar and FT Minister Annuar Musa on this matter.

"In fact, we have also been pressing them to present the DBKL budget to KL MPs for comments and discussion but there has not been any response," she added.

A pork seller, who wished to be known only as Yee, said despite years of complaints no action had been taken and it was galling that when it was finally done, the maintenance was carried out selectively.

"We, the pork sellers, have had to come out with our money to do small maintenance work and install lighting.

"We can't do business when it rains because water will be pouring down from the roof and the gutter," said Yee, adding that it was not fair because his group was also paying tax and trying to make an honest living.

Tan questioned where this sort of selective practice had originated from.

"Is it the inability of the contractors to take instructions? The work of 'Little Napoleons’? Or is it the policy of the new PN government for some hidden agenda?" she asked. - Mkini