Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan was thrown into a lion’s den yesterday when he was being driven into the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) complex.Greeting him at the entrance was a group of opposition MPs accompanying 200 traders who were staging a peaceful protest against the DBKL for allegedly being high-handed in dealing with them.
War of words: Gobalakrishnan (left) trying to grab Saravanan's attention while Zuraida (second from left) and Wee look on.The traders were there to submit a memorandum to Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan but when they saw Saravanan being driven into the DBKL complex, they stopped and surrounded his car and demanded that he talk to them.
A fierce war of words then broke out between the deputy minister and Pakatan Rakyat MPs – Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju), Tan Kok Wai (Cheras), Fong Kui Kun (Bukit Bintang), Lim Lip Eng (Segambut), Dr Tan Seng Giaw (Kepong), Loh Gwo Burne (Kelana Jaya) and Zuraida Kamarudin (Ampang).
Saravanan was confronted by Wee who demanded that he tell the traders what he would do to resolve their problems. This resulted in a shouting match, with the other MPs joining in challenging the deputy minister to state his stand on the issue.
Saravanan had to keep pleading to the crowd to allow him time to resolve their problems.
The traders had claimed that DBKL officers from its planning department had demolished their stalls on May 21 even after DBKL director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup had promised Wee a day earlier that the demolishing work would be put on hold for two weeks pending further discussion.
On May 21, the DBKL demolished 130 stalls in eight locations in Taman Desa Setapak.
The traders said they had told the enforcement officer in charge that morning of the 14-day grace period but the officer was said to be arrogant and ignored their request.
They said the officer also refused to give them time to remove their fans, fluorescent lights and signboards.
“When they came with huge excavators, lorries with DBKL officers, FRU and police to demolish, they gave us only 10 minutes to leave the area,” one trader said.
“We do not even have time to negotiate or talk to them,” said the trader who had been operating his business there for nearly 20 years.
After Wee contacted Salleh and the mayor’s special assistant Shaari Ahmad, the remaining stalls were given a reprieve.
The eight food court centres that were demolished were said to be trading on government land and had no approval from the DBKL to trade.
According to Saravanan, the DBKL has received complaints that the food court was the cause of major road congestions in the area and that traders did not keep the area clean.
Saravanan said the vacant land would now be used to build Rukun Tetangga and police beat bases as well as preserving it as a green lung
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