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Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Johari wants review of stall demolition plan, Zaliha says don't worry
Titiwangsa MP Johari Ghani called for the road-widening project to be put on hold while federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said DBKL would meet the stall owners soon. KUALA LUMPUR : Titiwangsa MP Johari Ghani has urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to review the planned demolition of nine stalls in Desa Pandan to allow for a road-widening project. He said the road involved was just an inner road while the traders there had been operating legally for years, Berita Harian reported. 'They are licensed, and this is their source of income. So when DBKL came to demolish their stalls the other day, they were very shocked,' said Johari, who is also the plantation and commodities minister. 'Why demolish these stalls to widen a road that isn't a main road?' he asked, calling for the project to be put on hold while DBKL holds talks with stakeholders. Johari also asked if 60 other stalls further down the road would also have to make way for a road-widening project one day. 'Don't worry, we'll help the traders' Separately, federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said DBKL had been engaging with the nine stall owners since November, acknowledging that they were licensed. She said some of them had already agreed to move while others refused to budge. Zaliha said the traders did not need to worry about losing their source of income as the federal territories department and DBKL would ensure that they have an alternative location for their stalls. 'We are supposed to meet them again this month to discuss where they will be moved to. This is part of our 'Lestari Niaga' project (to upgrade and beautify food stalls in KL) so I think they don't have to worry. 'We will do our best to help them and place them elsewhere, while giving them the facilities needed to open their stalls again,' she said when met by reporters at SMK Cochrane here. Zaliha also said that the road widening project needed to be expedited and was necessary for public use. 'I have asked the federal territories department and DBKL to meet the traders immediately and give them several options for new places to operate.' DBKL previously said the hawkers were told to vacate the site on Jan 15, but a final notice was only issued on July 4. During an operation to demolish the stalls on Tuesday, a man got into a brief stand-off with DBKL officers, brandishing a parang and shouting profanities at the officers. He was calmed down by members of the public before being arrested by the police.
Malay Mail
22-07-2025
- Malay Mail
KL mayor denies bias in Desa Pandan hawker demolitions, cites road plan based on data and complaints since 2017
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, amid public backlash over the matter. She said the authorities had taken action based on public complaints and data collected since 2017 regarding proposals to widen roads in the area. 'We may visit the stall owners tomorrow to assess the situation on the ground,' she told reporters after a visit to the Kuala Lumpur Command and Control Centre near Bukit Jalil here. '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. Maimunah added that she had personally contacted Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani on the matter, despite him questioning 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. '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 said. '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.' 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. 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.
Malay Mail
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
KL mayor denies bias in removal of hawker stalls for road project
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.
Malay Mail
18-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Trader seen waving machete at police, DBKL in viral video charged with intimidation
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — A trader whose video went viral for acting aggressively towards the police pleaded not guilty at the Magistrates' Court here today to a charge of using criminal force by brandishing a machete to intimidate public servants. Izat Saini @ Zaini, 43, was charged with committing the offence against Insp Fitri Farhan Wan Chik and Corporal Mohd Harris Lingam at the site of an operation by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), with the intent of scaring the public servants from carrying out their lawful duties. The offence was allegedly committed at the junction of Jalan 4/76B, Desa Pandan, here, at 11.17 am on July 15, and is framed under Section 353 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction. The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Farhanah Arul Hisham, while lawyer Fadhli Sutris represented Izat. Magistrate Amira Abd Aziz granted the accused bail of RM2,500 with one surety and set Sept 2 for case mention. 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. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
16-07-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
DBKL says it gave Desa Pandan stallholders ample time to vacate site
Screenshots from a video showing the man brandishing a parang at Desa Pandan yesterday. PETALING JAYA : Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said today it had ordered hawkers in Desa Pandan to vacate a site in January, following a brief standoff between enforcement officers and a parang-wielding man yesterday. DBKL said it wanted the area on Jalan 2/76 cleared to carry out road works and upgrade facilities. In a statement, it said it had engaged and informed the stakeholders, including the hawkers and their associations, of its plans. The hawkers were officially told to vacate the site on Jan 15, it said, and a final notice was issued on July 4. 'Demolition work was to be carried out on July 15, but it was put on hold due to the commotion at the site,' it said. Police arrested a 43-year-old man after he brandished a parang at DBKL officers during an operation to demolish the illegal structures at Desa Pandan. The man is said to have confronted the officers at about 11.15am during the operation, which also involved the police, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, and Air Selangor. Wangsa Maju police chief Lazim Ismail had said the man shouted profanities at the officers before being calmed down by members of the public.
