KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today sought to assure Malaysian traders in the national capital that their livelihoods are a priority for his government.
He called on Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to ensure that business licences are owned by Malaysians and to revoke those that have been given out to foreigners or obtained illegally.
“Kuala Lumpur has these big shops and malls and we want to give them the best. I've instructed the mayor to go by the book, follow the law and regulations and make sure licences for trade are given to locals.
“If they give it to others, we will revoke it,” he told reporters this morning during a visit to the Pusat Penjaja Madani on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here.
Anwar has been making frequent visits to food courts and other public areas catering to the working class since taking office last November to get the views directly from working Malaysians to show his Madani government is focused on people-centric issues.
Today, he gave an assurance that his government will look into repairing public walkways, drainage, dining areas in the food courts and improving lighting for a safer and more comfortable work and dining experience.
“In other areas like the food courts around the city, we want to fix the pipes, dining area, lighting, drainage and more to upgrade and improve the current situation.
“We want to make their dining experiences pleasant and this is a top priority for us,” he said.
Anwar was alluding to the congested paths in the city where stalls have been set up in front of shopping malls, often obstructing or posing a hazard to pedestrians.
It is also dubious of the stall owners or operators have valid business licences.
DBKL has said upgrading works such as repairing roofs, replacing old wiring and other fixtures like ceiling fans and lights, broken pipes, are being planned for these public areas.
