Jimmy and his team listening to Leong Kien Min at his shop.
TAWAU: Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Datuk Jimmy Wong, has urged the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) to reconsider the earlier decision made to relocate the Takada Sunday Market from the Takada Pertama Commercial Centre to Habib Sheikh Street at Sabindo here before the Chinese New Year festivities.
Jimmy, who is also the Sri Tanjong assemblyman, said the government must take the best interests of the people before arriving at any decision to force business operators to ‘accept’ the relocation of the Sunday market.
In the light of this development, Jimmy said that he would forward the objection/appeal of the business operatorsat Sabindo to TMC and hoped that the council will respect their wishes to not relocate the Sunday market.
Jimmy said this to the media after listening the grouses of the business operators in Sabindo. Also present were the Sri Tanjong community development leader, Koo Hung Eow, and development officer, Philip Yap.
On January 11, 143 business operators from 14 commercial blocks at Habib Sheikh Street at Sabindo here objected against the relocation of the Takada Sunday Market.
The group had signed a petition against this move and will submit it to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, TMC, Tawau member of parliament Datuk Christina Liew and Jimmy.
Leong Kien Min, speaking on their behalf of the group, noted that the Sunday market would have 500 stalls and is presumed to use up about 500 parking lots. At the moment, the number of parking lots is just enough for the business operators and their customers, but a shortage of parking lots and traffic congestion in Sabindo is expected if the Sunday market is to be relocated there.
Furthermore relocating the Sunday market to Sabindo would give rise to hygienic and cleanliness problems, such as garbage being strewn everywhere at the five-foot way and backstreet areas which the business operators would have to clean it up.
On the door-to-door consultation session said to have been held by TMC, the 143 business operators in Sabindo claimed that they have never received any visits or letter of consent from any local authority relating to this move.
Hence, they are signing a petition against it.