KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Association has suggested that the government create a mechanism that requires trading licence holders to apply to trader associations before employing foreign stall assistants.
Its president, Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman said association involvement was important to curb licence abuse and could help prevent a corrupt culture from the bottom up.
“We suggest creating a law where we can monitor traders to ensure they comply with the regulation of employing foreign workers, including a service period of not more than three years.
“Through the mechanism, the association will act as the facilitator and as an agency to supply foreign stall assistants and deal and apply with the authorities,” he told Bernama after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to the Madani Hawkers’ Centre at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here yesterday.
He said Anwar had been told about the matter when the prime minister spent 40 minutes mingling with traders at the centre.
Rosli said he also voiced concerns that foreigners were flooding into and monopolising petty trade in the capital and hoped that the government would take stern action against the issue.
“If possible, we don’t want foreigners to be involved in hawking and petty trade, let locals manage all licences and businesses,” he said, and expressed hope that the legalisation process and operations by the authorities could be conducted more frequently in the future.
Anwar had stressed previously that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would retract trading licences from those who gave their licences to other parties, including foreigners.
The prime minister said that he, along with DBKL were crafting methods to ensure the regulation would be complied with and to ensure it benefited local traders. -Bernama
