SMC aims to relocate market hawkers before CNY 2021

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Tiang shows an artist’s impression of the site for the temporary stalls slated for the hawkers, which will occupy the parking zone opposite the Doremon Superstore at Jalan Chew Siik Hiong.

SIBU: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) aims to relocate the hawkers of Tiong Hua Road Market to a temporary trading site at Jalan Chew Siik Hiong here before Chinese New Year 2021, says Councillor Albert Tiang.

According to Tiang, who is SMC Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee chairman, the site would house 36 temporary stalls occupying the parking zone opposite the Doremon Superstore.

For now, the affected hawkers are operating in front of Tiong Hua Road Market building, which is now off-limits to public following the discovery of cracks on its walls.

“Our planned schedule is for hawkers to move there (temporary site at Jalan Chew Siik Hiong) by February 2021, after Chinese New Year celebration.

“Nonetheless, we hope to rush for earlier completion (of setting up the temporary stalls) so that the hawkers could move in before Chinese New Year 2021,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Tiang said the SMC was still waiting for Public Works Department (JKR)’s report to certify the decades-old market building as ‘being unsafe’.

“As an immediate temporary measure, SMC has finalised on allocating a temporary site behind Nur Sejahtera Clinic at Jalan Chew Siik Hiong for the hawkers to continue trading.

“The temporary arrangement will see 11 canopies being erected there. The canopies will be set up this Tuesday (Oct 13) and the work should take around 10 days to complete.

“Hawkers are expected to trade there before this month’s end, when water and electricity supply have been connected,” said the councillor.

Tiang said the hawkers would be running their operations behind Nur Sejahtera Clinic for about four months, before being relocated to the temporary site opposite Doremon Superstore.

He believed that upon the handing-over of the job award soon, the appointed contractor should immediately start erecting the steel structures for the stalls at the parking zone opposite the superstore.

The popular Tiong Hua Road Market was established in 1975.

It is planned that the market building would be demolished once JKR has confirmed that the property is unsafe.

Following this, rebuilding works would proceed and upon completion, the market would once again house the hawkers.

Minister for Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian inspected the building recently.