KL mayor denies bias in removal of hawker stalls for road project

Malay Mail

6 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said there were no elements of bias in the treatment of local hawkers and vendors in Desa Pandan.
Her remarks follow public criticism and a recent enforcement operation to remove illegal hawker stalls as part of a planned road-widening project in the area.
She said the authorities had taken action based on public complaints and data collected since 2017 regarding proposals to widen roads in the area.
Maimunah added that she had personally contacted Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani on the matter. Johari had earlier questioned whether Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) needed to demolish nine hawker stalls in Desa Pandan to make way for the expansion.
She said the matter had also been discussed with DBKL and that some alternative solutions had been proposed.
'We may visit the stall owners tomorrow to assess the situation on the ground.
'As for claims of bias, we are not. Our actions are based on data, suggestions, and plans that have been in place for some time. The plan for the road was proposed back in 2017 after public complaints about the area being too tight and congested.
'Studies were conducted, and alternatives were considered for both road users and pedestrians. Since then, we've held four meetings with the local community,' Maimunah told reporters after a visit to the Kuala Lumpur Command Centre near Bukit Jalil today.
'We acknowledge there was initial resistance. There are currently nine stalls involved, and if anything needs to be done, we will discuss it with them.
'Again, we are not biased. We're simply looking at it from a technical and data-driven perspective, including traffic impact studies and feasibility assessments for the road.
'Let's see how things unfold. If there's no resolution, we're prepared to return to the drawing board,' she said.
On July 15, Bernama reported that a man was arrested after going on a rampage and swinging a machete at enforcement officers during an operation to demolish illegal structures in Desa Pandan.
A video of the man acting aggressively towards the police went viral.
Yesterday, Izat Saini @ Zaini, 43, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrates' Court to a charge of using criminal force by brandishing a machete to intimidate public servants.