There’s nothing wrong with supporting local businesses when it comes to #sapotlokal, but what do we do when some of the vendors are becoming a nuisance to others?
A few images of tables and chairs that were placed on the sidewalks near LRT Wangsa Maju, KL recently went viral on social media, which gained criticism from many Malaysians who agreed that the sidewalks are meant for pedestrians.
Apparently, there are still stubborn vendors who insisted on making the sidewalks as part of their stalls.
It didn’t take long for the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) officers to take action.
In a Facebook post this morning (December 9), following numerous complaints from people, DBKL revealed that they “paid a visit” to the food operators at the LRT Wangsa Maju’s sidewalk last night (December 8) and raided the place, before confiscating the tables and chairs which have blocked the pathway meant for pedestrians.
Is DBKL too harsh for punishing and stopping vendors from making a living?
According to the Facebook post, DBKL understands the need to make a living and how sensitive it can be to talk about this matter, but NOT to the extent of troubling others.
“While making a living, we need to put the comfort of others into consideration as well, like the road users and the pedestrians.”
While DBKL does not stop any food operators from running their businesses, the authority wants them to be more considerate and certainly does not want any problems to occur, such as traffic congestion or irritated pedestrians who don’t get to use the sheltered sidewalks, which may also put their lives in danger.
At the end of the post, DBKL sent a message to fellow vendors out there and reminded them to ALWAYS abide by the rules while operating their businesses.
“If the rules are followed, the society will be happy. We want to live comfortably together, right?”
It seems that DBKL is certainly not joking around when it comes to complaints and feedback from people. Do you think that the vendors who set up their tables and chairs got the lesson they needed, or do you think that it’s only a petty matter?
Also read: RM5 Nasi Lemak with Generous Portion of Meat Said to Be Expensive, Penang Vendor Responds