HAWKERS, traders and residents on Jalan Yew, Kuala Lumpur, demonstrated today against the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) plan to widen the Jalan Yew-Jalan Sungai Besi flyover, which they said was disruptive to businesses.

Shops around the area, as well as stalls in Pudu Market, erected banners to protest the RM96 million project. 

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said the flyover expansion, supposedly to begin in January, was delayed after stakeholders sent an objection letter to DBKL on December 9. 

“DBKL issued the tender for the project to contractors on August 4, 2020, when Pakatan Harapan was not the government. We were not consulted about it. 

“After the objection letter, DBKL said it planned to redesign the flyover expansion, but the people here are giving a steadfast ‘no’ to the project,” he told reporters after the demonstration. 

The flyover expansion proposed will connect Sungai Besi Highway and Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway, on both sides.

A joint action committee was launched to spearhead the objection, which has garnered about 100 signatures and the support of more than 1,000 businesses. 

“We plead with DBKL to look into this more carefully. The project will put Jalan Yew in a worse situation,” said president of the committee Yong Pock Yau. 

He said one of the major reasons for the grievances towards the project is that the construction would disrupt the nearby businesses. 

Malaysian Hawkers and Petty Traders Association president Rosli Sulaiman said that the government must prioritise the economy of the people first. 

“What is critical now is to look into the economy, and how businesses have already been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic these past two years,” he said. 

In the December 9 letter addressed to Kuala Lumpur mayor Mahadi Che Ngah and sighted by The Malaysian Insight, the group wrote: “Customers will not come to shop here during the construction. It will cause huge losses to traders and businesses.”

Other reasons stated include concerns about safety, noise pollution, risk of traffic collisions, reduction of parking spaces and further traffic congestion. – December 31, 2021.