Flood-hit PJ traders caught between repairs and relocation

 Section 51A hawkers say they are ready to move if a proper alternative is provided, after suffering years of losses from recurring floods.

Medan Selera Jaya 223 in Section 51A has been hit by floods three times this year, with the latest deluge sending water levels up to neck height.

PETALING JAYA:

For hawkers at Medan Selera Jaya 223 in Section 51A, every heavy downpour has become a cycle of flooding, repairs and mounting losses.

Repeated floods have forced traders to continually replace damaged equipment and stock, while some now face the possibility of leaving the area they have called home for decades.

They told FMT they had been informed they might need to relocate to make way for a road linked to a nearby condominium development.

Faced with recurring floods, relocation might be the better option for the 60 businesses at the food court, but there are yet to be details on where they would move, when it would happen or whether they would receive any assistance.

Mutalib.

“Show us the new place and build the shops for us. Once the shops are handed over, we will move,” said Mutalib, who has operated his business there for about 35 years.

Last week, on July 18, they suffered the third flood to hit the food court this year, following incidents on April 20 and May 6.

The Petaling Jaya city council (MBPJ) said the floods were caused by heavy rainfall of more than 60mm in a short period, which overwhelmed Sungai Penchala, as well as backflow from Sungai Klang and river repair works that reduced water flow capacity.

The council had previously waived two months’ rent for affected traders after the April floods, while the Selangor government announced a RM40.5 million allocation to address flooding in the area, with Section 51A among three priority locations.

Mutalib said water rose to neck level during the latest incident, damaging stoves, cookers, LPG equipment, electrical appliances and food supplies.

For traders operating on narrow margins, repeatedly replacing equipment, replenishing stock and losing trading days was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.

Mutalib also expressed frustration over the lack of follow-up, saying no official had returned to assess their losses. “When elections come, they ask us to vote and support them. But when people are suffering and losing their belongings, nobody comes to ask what help we need,” he said.

Ibrahim.

Another vendor, Ibrahim, estimated he suffered about RM1,000 in damage to his refrigerator and boiler, while RM500 in raw ingredients was destroyed.

He said traders had installed alarms and sirens to warn of rising water, but their only option during floods was to salvage what they could and shut down operations.

Traders at Medan Selera Jaya 223 said business has slowed as customers become hesitant to visit the area whenever heavy rain is forecast.

Business has also slowed since the flooding, with Ibrahim saying customers have become reluctant to visit when it rains.

Although the traders received assistance covering two months’ rent after the flood in May, they had yet to hear whether similar aid would be offered this time.

On Sir.

Nearby, the owner of pickleball facility Pickletime, who identified himself as On Sir, said floodwaters entered his facility through the entrance, rear drain and toilet after just 20 to 30 minutes of heavy rain, forcing him to repeat repairs carried out after flooding two months earlier.

“Even though I’m struggling, I never asked anyone to donate. I just want the government to take responsibility and solve this problem as soon as possible,” he said.

Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung rejected the suggestion that the entire city was becoming economically unviable, but acknowledged that recurring floods were raising the risks and costs faced by businesses in the affected area.

Lee called on the MBPJ and the state government to meet the affected traders and set out the plans for dealing with the repeated floods. “You cannot simply say it is climate change and wait, because it has clearly affected the business area. You cannot expect businesses to continue suffering,” he said.

He said continued inaction could increase insurance premiums or make flood coverage difficult to obtain, forcing businesses to reassess the risks of remaining in the area. - FMT