SOME hawkers at Kuala Lumpur’s tourist magnet in Jalan Alor, Bukit Bintang have been fleecing visitors but they make up only a small number, the Bukit Bintang Hawkers and Petty Traders Association said.

Association chairman See Foo Hoong said that while “most traders follow the rules”, he admitted there are a few bad apples..

See was responding to criticism from Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing, who had singled out traders at Jalan Alor for cheating visitors, mostly foreign tourists.

Tiong had described Jalan Alor, a top draw for Chinese visitors to the many hawker stalls and restaurants, as a problematic area.

The minister said his ministry had been receiving an increasing number of complaints about the unfriendly behaviour of workers towards tourists and price gouging.

Tiong said foreign visitors had claimed they had been charged three to four times higher than the normal price.

“I won’t say there are no bad apples,” See told The Malaysian Insight.

“I don’t endorse their behaviour either,” he added.

See said there are no reasons why these traders should resort to unethical practices and bad behaviour as the area is doing brisk business.

“People are returning (after the pandemic). Why engage in such practices?”

See advised visitors that feel they are being overcharged to only go to restaurants where menu prices are listed.

The prices for various portions of any dish are clearly stated on the menu, he said.

He also strongly advised those who feel they are being fleeced to lodge a report with the ministry.

Despite the ticking off from the minister, See said he is not concerned that it would affect the Jalan Alor hawkers.

“Jalan Alor is a must-visit destination for tourists,” he said. “But we don’t want a few bad apples to ruin it.”

The chairman of the KL Hawkers and Petty Traders Association Ang Say Tee said another of the city’s major tourist draws, Chinatown in Petaling Street, is where the majority of traders do not resort to illegal practices like fleecing tourists.

“We don’t need negative publicity.”

Ang said 99% of traders in Petaling Street are law abiding and do not engage in illegal and unethical practices.

“Maybe only 1% do so for a quick profit.”

Ang said visitors can file a complaint if they feel they have been overcharged,

Complaints can be filed to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, Kuala Lumpur MP Fong Kui Lun, or the association.

“We will act on it immediately,” he said.

He said the association would talk to the trader in question.

“If the trader does not heed advice, we will then write to Kuala Lumpur City Hall asking for the trader’s business license to be revoked.

“That will stop him from operating in Petaling Street.”

Boon Kok Choon, the head of the complaints unit of the Federation of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Hawkers Associations, said traders often tell the customers “to eat first and pay later”.

“Traders should not be doing this,” he said. “Traders should inform their customers of the prices when taking their order.”

Boon said many complaints about overcharging stem from the lack of clear pricing.

He advised visitors who have encountered this problem to take a photograph of the menu and file a written complaint to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry instead of posting their grouses on social media.

“Social media posts would only cause unscrupulous traders to temporarily stop what they are doing.

“Once the issue has died down, they will go back to cheating consumers.”

On October 13, Tiong said on Facebook that price gouging negatively impacts Malaysia as a popular tourist destination.

He appealed to associations in the tourism industry to assist him in addressing the issue. – October 27, 2023.