KUALA LUMPUR: Concessions for “pasar malam” operations during the Covid-19 pandemic can only be made by the National Security Council (NSC).
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa made this clear in a brief reply to the New Straits Times.
“The authority is with the NSC, not with us,” he briefly said.
Annuar was responding to queries on whether Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would give traders the green light to sell clothes and shoes.
Checks with DBKL also revealed that the NSC guideline disallows the sale of clothing and shoes during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
However, Pertubuhan Pengurusan Pasar Malam Kuala Lumpur secretary Roy James Charles lambasted the limitations, arguing that some hypermarkets were selling clothes.
He said this contradicts the government’s announcement that all sectors of the economy would be open despite the extension of the MCO.
“If they really cannot help us out then they should compensate each pasar malam trader with at least RM1,000.”
Roy said the compensation should be across the board as all night market traders were suffering including those selling essentials, who resumed business when the NSC lifted their ban last week.
The NSC lifted the ban on pasar malam on Jan 28 following a two-week campaign by traders to be allowed to operate in areas under the MCO.
A total of 49 night markets cleared for operations in KL during the conditional MCO were given the green light to resume business under strict SOP.
Only the sale of essentials such as food were allowed. However clothes and shoes were disallowed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Pasar malam traders had earlier cried foul over the NSC’s move to bar them from trading – but approving morning markets and other such open air facilities – despite previously shutting them down during the first MCO.
They also noted that food stalls and restaurants had been allowed to extend their trading hours to 10pm, while pasar malam were not even given a chance to operate.- NST