Durian, fruit sellers appeal to MBKS to allow them to continue trading at Padungan Season Fruit Market

KUCHING (Dec 18): Three local durian and fruit sellers at Padungan Season Fruit Market here are appealing to Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to allow them to continue trading at the premises in Jalan Abell.

Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen said the three hawkers have been verbally informed by MBKS officers that they will not be allowed to continue selling durians and local fruits at the premises.

He also said that the council had issued them with notices requiring that they remove all the sun-tents at the said premises within 14 days from the date of service of the notices.

“The three hawkers selling durian and other local fruits at Padungan Season Fruit Market have approached me on Dec 16 seeking my assistance on the notices issued by MBKS.

“Two of them were served the notices on Dec 5 while another was served the notice on Dec 6,” he said in his letter addressed to Kuching South mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng dated today (Dec 18).

He said two of the hawkers have been selling durian and other local fruits at the premises for more than 10 years while the other has been operating a similar stall there for several years.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP, said the sun-tents are essential to the hawkers’ trade to provide the necessary shelter against the scorching sun as well as rainy weather for themselves and their customers.

“Without the sun-tents, it would be almost impossible for the trio to continue selling durians of the said Notices,” he added.

He pointed out that since the hawkers started operating at the premises, they have erected the sun-tents and that MKBS has up to the date of the Notices, had no issue regarding these sun-tents.

“As such, they are perplexed on the rationale for the issuance of the said Notices. Verbally, they were informed by your officers that they will not be allowed to continue selling durians and local fruits at the premises and thus your council has decided to issue the Notices,” he said in his letter.

He said what had been conveyed to the three hawkers have come as a shock to them as they have been trading at the fruit market for years and have fully cooperated with MBKS during this period.

“They have also maintained the cleanliness of the place well.

“As such, there was no breach of any of the conditions set by MBKS on their license to trade at the fruit market,” he said.

Chong said at the three hawkers are sole breadwinners of their families, by not allowing them to continue trading at the market would immediately put them out of business and cut of the only source of income of their families.

He said given the severe impact of the Notices and MBKS’ decision; the three hawkers are appealing for a meeting with the council to clarify the matter.

He added that as the Notices will take effect in a day or two, they would be much obliged if Wee and MBKS officers will meet up with the hawkers either today or tomorrow.

He also hoped that MBKS officers will refrain from taking any action to dismantle the sun-tents pending any outcome from the proposed meeting.