Residents react with ‘thumbs-down’ to Satok Uptown market in Crookshank

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Sobering aftermath of the weekly Satok Tourism Youth Uptown Market, with ruts in the grassy section of the road shoulders left by ‘invading’ shoppers, that has marred the once picturesque Crookshank.

KUCHING: All it took was less than two weekends for the residents along Jalan Crookshank to cry foul over the undesirable impact of bustling crowds at the weekly Satok Tourism Youth Uptown market.

Among the main reasons that the concerned residents are calling the shots to relocate the market are the unrelenting din of human traffic, jams and littering, which they claimed to be eroding their once picturesque and quaint neighbourhood a wee bit each week.

“The aftermath brought by the market’s 5,000 to 6,000 patrons is ugly and can be clearly seen on every Saturday and Sunday morning. The most glaring problems would be the litter and the trampled grass on both road shoulders along Jalan Crookshank,” said a resident who lamented his plight to The Borneo Post recently.

He said that due to the wave of shoppers pouring into the market and the limited parking space, vehicle owners have little choice but to park along the road shoulders, and causing ruts in the grassy bunds.

“On rainy days, the destroyed grass section turns mushy which also causes the main road to be muddy and dirty from a mish-mash of tyre tracks. Also along the same stretch of road, the cluttering of rubbish is overwhelming,” he added.

He said the locality, hailed by residents and locals as the ‘Lung of the City’, should be maintained to a high standard as a prime recreational area, especially when the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) is the state’s host for world-class tennis tournaments.

“As the area is taken up on Fridays and Saturdays, it would also mean that there can be no more night functions at the civic centre’s hall and weekly night runs at Le’ Park,” he observed.

Despite recognising the noble idea of the market to support youth entrepreneurs, the residents suggest a relocation of the market to a more suitable downtown such as Padang Merdeka or the Kuching Waterfront.

“Organising the market in these areas will also attract more tourists as it is nearer to hotels and right in the city centre where more parking spaces abound,” he added.

He also said it took years to clean up the old Satok market area and get the vendors to relocate. With the opening of the Satok Uptown market, he feared another long term issue might be brewing.

Another resident, when contacted, also questioned the market’s operating hours which start at 9pm and ends at 3am.

“I am sure people who are still hanging around at 3am are not normal. A normal person would already be at home fast asleep during the wee hours. No decent family or person would be shopping at that time,” she added.

According to her, stretching the opening hours of the market after midnight also attracts bad hats to gather and cause a ruckus.

Another cause for concern are rumours circulating among residents that one of their homes was recently broken into by thieves, she said.

“Maybe it is a coincidence that it happened when the market has started or maybe not,” said the resident, justifying her safety concerns.

And as some residents protest about a neighbourhood shattered by the intrusion of late night shoppers, the corridors of power are not obtuse to an early review of its marketplace innovation for young entrepreneurs.

Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Wahap Abang Julai said he was aware of the residents’ plight in Crookshank, saying that they would be weighing several options to iron out the issues.

Regarding the trampled road shoulders, Wahap was quick to add that DBKU might consider ‘cementing up’ the grass section and discuss a long term solution with the organisers.

He relented that another DBKU concern was the mounting litter and traffic jams of the popular market.