Traders in Brinchang has no cause for concern

No cause for concern
Thursday September 4, 2008
By Clara Chooi

TRADERS at the Brinchang market in Cameron Highlands can be rest assured that their business licences will not be revoked.

Cameron Highlands District Council secretary Mohd Pauzi Abu Hussaini said the council had never made any plans to revoke their trading licences.

“We received a letter from their lawyer telling us they are upset that their licences will be revoked and that they have nowhere to go,” he said.

He said the claims were unfoun-ded and the council had never brought up the matter.

Mohd Pauzi said he had no idea why the traders were suddenly plagued with such a wor- ry.

More than 20 traders there had alleged that the council planned to revoke their temporary trading licences once the row of shop units in front of the market was completed.

Market trader Ridhuan Lai Ab-dullah, 29, said without the licen-ces, he and other traders had now-here to go.

“We heard that once the buil-ding is ready, we have to move out. We also heard that the shop units will be rented out to other traders and we won’t have the first option to lease it,” he add- ed.

He claimed that the move was unfair as many of them had been operating there for more than 20 years.

The traders are also worried that the main road passing through Brinchang will be turned into a one-way street.

The council had changed the traffic flow for four months last year but reverted it back to its original route shortly before the general election in March.

“Now, we are worried that they may change the route again,” Ri-dhuan said.

He said that should the one-way street be re-imposed, those heading towards Brinchang from Ringlet would not even pass through the town market.

He said when the council chan-ged the traffic flow previously, their business had suffered about 40%.

Mohd Pauzi said the council had no plans to reintroduce the traffic system. -- The Star Metro.