KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) today handed out temporary permit offer letters to 80 hawkers in Setapak Indah here that will enable them to carry out hawking activities during recovery movement control order period (RMCO).

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said this is in line with the government’s aspirations to provide the people with more opportunities to generate income as well as assist those who had lost jobs.

The handing over of temporary permits today, he said, is a starting point to provide for many more in other hawking areas.

"This is the first area that I have given some flexibility in quite a large number… and if these hawkers do not manage (the opportunities) well, they will inadvertently make it harder for those (hawkers) in the other areas to also get similar licences.

"However, if the hawkers can prove to DBKL, cooperate well and do not misuse the licences by giving them to others, then we will consider other hawking areas as well,” he told reporters after handing out the offer letters today.

Also present were FT Ministry Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar, ministry secretary-general, Datuk Rosida Jaafar and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan.

Annuar said DBKL had made the permit application process much easier, while also adding that he helped the hawkers would follow all RMCO standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Health Ministry (MOH) and DBKL.

Hawker, Nor Aslinda Azman, 43, who sells corndogs, was one of the many grateful recipients of the permit. 

Having failed to obtain a hawking permit many times, Nor Aslinda said she had no choice but to carry on her hawking activity to support the family.

"Although this permit is temporary, it is still a big relief. At least we don’t have to be anxious anymore each time an enforcement team is in the area,” she said. — Bernama