SELAYANG, June 13: The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) tore down and seized 18 stalls with no business permits here at Batu Caves on 7 June.
MPS had previously sent notices to all roadside traders along Jalan Samudera Utama, Taman Samudera, to vacate the area since 2011.
MPS Enforcement Director, Azmi Ismail said that they had to take action to tear down the stalls and seize their business goods because the traders ignored the notice.
According to him, MPS gave them an early notice on 16 and 20 April 2011 for a number of offences committed by the traders in hope that they clear the area.
Once the early notices were ignored, MPS sent them a final notice for the vendors to vacate the area within a week.
“This is a very old case. We only took action since 2011 because we received complaints at the time regarding cases of nuisance.
“The complaints received are regarding when they conduct business, customers stop to buy food and this caused traffic congestion. Therefore the place is seen as no longer fit for business.
“Three years ago they might have had permits but due to the place being unsuitable, chances are the permits will be withdrawn,” he told TVSelangor.
Azmi said that the matter of traffic congestion was raised during the MPS council meeting and action had to be taken to solve the problem.
He said that vendors are recommended to meet with Members of the Council in their respective areas for help to find suitable areas to do business legally.
“If you want to do business, trade in accordance with channels approved by MPS. They have to apply for business permits,” he said.
Surveys in the area found that there are those among the traders who are not satisfied with the action taken by MPS.
Some traders claim to have permits while others say that they have no permit.
A vendor, Lidia Amiruddin, 48, who was met said that she has been in the nasi lemak business since six ye A trader who is found, Lidia Amiruddin, 48, said he nasi lemak business there for six years but had only a permit for the first three years.
She claimed that MPS is biased in its operations and did not tear down all roadside stalls in the area.
Another vendor named Azman Daud, 38, claimed that MPS did not take action against foreign national traders in the area that allegedly conduct business along the roadside.
