KUCHING: Business in Stutong Community Market is slow so traders hope the relevant authority can organise promotional activities to attract customers.
SLUGGISH BUSINESS: The wet market sells a variety of products but fewer customers are coming. The market is particularly quiet at about 11am.
Those in the wet market claimed their business was down since moving away from Gambier Street.
They blame the location of the Stutong Community Market, which they say is not strategic.
Stutong Community Market under the purview of Kuching City South Council (MBKS) opened in July 2007 to accommodate traders from Gambier Street.
A survey at the wet market yesterday revealed that the sales of the traders there had gone down drastically.
Spice and curry trader Raja Manikam, 72, said: “Before (at Gambier Street), I can sell RM400 to RM500 a day, now I can only sell RM30 to RM40.”
Despite the drop in income, Manikam hoped the volume of business will increase in future.
According to him, many traders in the market have closed shops due to the poor business.
The government’s decision to close the market at Gambier Street was due to various considerations, among them to reduce traffic congestion in the area, for cleanliness of the surrounding area and extension of Kuching Waterfront.
A trader selling vegetables and fruits, who only wished to be identified as Peter, lauded the government’s decision, but said Stutong Community Market is not strategically located.
Like Manikam, he said not many people like to patronise the market because of the traffic congestion in the early morning and evening.
Peter, who has been trading at Gambier Street for the past 30 years, disclosed that his collection is only about RM100 a day now.
Saying that MBKS mayor James Chan made frequent visits to the market, he hoped the relevant authority compensate the traders whose income have dropped drastically since moving from Gambier Street.
Meanwhile, fishmonger Akit managed about RM400 in daily sale, compared to RM1,000 a day at Gambier Street.
He said traders at Gambier Street enjoyed a brisk business daily as many people flock there due to its strategic location.