KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is planning to convert the Masjid India Bazaar which was damaged in a fire last Tuesday, into a pedestrian mall.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad said this was because the site was part of the city’s River Of Life (RoL) project, which was originally slated to be open to the public as a pedestrian mall.
“In the long term plans for the RoL project, we will be clearing the area. The traders of Wisma Yakin also have long requested DBKL to do so because the structure of the bazaar has blocked the building and affected their businesses.
“Hence, the structure of the fire-damaged Masjid India Bazaar will be completely demolished after this as it is no longer safe for anyone to continue doing business,” he told reporters after presenting the 2019 Aidilfitri Komuniti Kuala Lumpur contributions, here today.
In the incident at 1.35am on Tuesday, about 30 stalls at the bazaar selling various items such as garments, tudungs, bags and shoes were destroyed in the blaze.
Khalid said the traders affected by the fire should not worry as DBKL would relocate them to new areas.
“DBKL’s initial proposal is to relocate them to Lanai Seni, a site next to the Coliseum in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, not far from the current site and we have already opened the tender which is expected to be ready next year,” he said.
Earlier, Khalid had presented contributions to 26 traders affected by the fire totalling RM98,000, with each person receiving between RM3,000 and RM5,000 depending on the amount of losses they suffered.
In addition, 500 needy recipients also received a contribution of RM150 each, involving an allocation of RM75,000.
In Putrajaya, Khalid launched Trak Tani Wilayahku programme which will enable locals to purchase their daily market needs such as chicken, fish, vegetables and fruits at up to 20% cheaper than the market price in selected locations in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
He said the programme with the concept of “nearby, cheap and fresh” was an effort to bring agricultural products from Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) entrepreneur to consumers.
“There are over 100 trucks that will move in rotation according to a schedule,” he told reporters after launching the initiative.
The Trak Tani Wilayahku will be operating in Putrajaya between 4pm and 6pm at the Perbadanan Putrajaya and Parcel E on Mondays, at the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry and Parcel C on Wednesdays and at Dataran Gemilang on Thursdays.
Meanwhile, the locations in Kuala Lumpur are at the People’s Housing Programme areas and its schedule will be announced later, he said. - Bernama
