THE Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association has hit out at the Bukit Bintang Umno division leader for “stereotyping” traders in Petaling Street by accusing them all of selling fake products.

Association chairman Ang Say Tee even challenged Umno Bukit Bintang chief Zainal Rafique to visit Petaling Street, or better known as Chinatown, to see for himself the businesses being run there.

Ang was responding to Zainal’s remarks that business had dropped in Petaling Street because the goods sold there were fake and foreign workers were flooding the area.

Zainal was countering the traders’ assertion that the goods and services tax (GST) was the main reason why businesses in the area had suffered.  

“They (Petaling Street businesses) prefer to hire foreign workers and have now turned Petaling Street to ‘Foreign Workers Street.’”

“The foreign workers are rude to their customers and this has led to the loss of customers.”

Zainal also questioned if traders selling fake goods paid GST.

Rebutting Zainal, Ang said not all traders in Petaling Street sell fake goods, insisting most of the traders there are suffering due to the GST. 

“Just 20% of them sell fake goods and counterfeit products, they are the black sheep. The remaining 80% do not (sell fake products).

“Zainal Rafique is stereotyping Petaling Street. His remarks are biased and it has created a wrong perception that all Petaling Street traders deal in fake goods.

“The impression that he has given to the public is false, which is unfair to vendors and traders.”.

Ang then invited Zainal to a tour of Petaling Street to see for himself the situation there.

“He will realise that many of them are traditional businesses, such as hawkers. Are they fake goods traders, too?”

“There are fake goods everywhere, we have it in Sungei Wang (Plaza) too… will you say the decrease in sales there is caused by fake goods too?”

Ang said the government should focus on solving problems faced by the people instead of just dropping by to give comments.

Ang had told Free Malaysia Today that 10% of Petaling Street businesses have closed down since the implementation of GST in 2015.

“However, our customers say their salaries are still the same and because of that, they are cautious in their spending,” he said.

“Look around, there is no crowd. Years ago, it was so crowded that people could hardly walk in here.” – February 21, 2018.