Give Sungai Besi main market building a facelift - traders 

By Soon Li Wei

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- At first glance, the white and brown old building that stands as a solitary structure in the middle of Sungai Besi town can be mistaken as a stadium.

However, the moment you step into the building you will realise that this is the Kuala Lumpur City Hall or DBKL-owned Sungai Besi Main Market which had been operating since 1984.

Now with several skyscrapers rising out from the surrounding areas coupled with the construction of the mass rapid transit (MRT) system, the one time iconic structure stands cold and alone. 

Further more with the launch of a new commercial centre to cater to residents’ shopping, dining and entertainment needs, the old two-storey market building is no longer popular among shoppers.

A Bernama survey around the 35-year-old Sungai Besi Market building found the ground floor to be bustling with people and activities while on the first floor it was quiet and deserted.

The few traders who run their tailoring and sewing business on the first floor claimed that for the past 10 years their business had been affected after foreign traders began setting up their tailoring business outside the market building.

Tailor, Kamariah Md Yusoff, 67, said though she only charged RM50 for a pair of baju kurung, new customers were hard to come by and she could only depend on her loyal customers.

"Rental here is cheap. We only pay RM100 per month so we are able to offer our service at a reasonably low price. Yet, we can’t get customers because it is difficult to find parking space and people are not aware that we are here.

"There used to be a public bus plying this area but since the construction of the MRT project and bridge projects started in front of the LRT station, buses no longer operate along this route so people don’t come here anymore," she told Bernama.

She said customers preferred to seek the services of the Bangladeshis who operate from the shops outside the building as it was more convenient for them.

"I understand that these foreign traders are willing to pay as high as RM6,000 a month for the premises and since they moved here our business had been badly affected that some shops had to close down,” said Kamariah who had been operating here since 1985.

Azman Abu Bakar, 58, who runs a photocopying service business said he still has his customers as there was no competition from others offering similar service there.

"I am confident that if this market building is given a modern make-over complete with public facilities, customers will come here instead of going to the foreign traders out there,” said Azman who had been operating the shop for the past 30 years.

Another tailor who only wanted to be known as Kam, 43, said the market would start to get busy from 6 am but by 12 noon it would be quiet and deserted.

“If not for the festive season, I will start business at 9am and leave at 1pm as there is no more activity here after the wet market traders close shop,” she said.

Meanwhile Sungai Besi Market Hawkers and Petty Traders Association chairman Abu Hassan Abdullah said the association had proposed to the government to give the building a facelift to attract more visitors.

"At one time it was proposed that the main market building be developed as a UTC (urban transformation centre) but sadly the excuse had always been budget constraints.

"I recommend that government agencies or banks be allowed to operate on the top floor. In this way there will always be a crowd and hopefully the operators on the first floor will be able to revive their business," he said.

-- BERNAMA