The Free Trade Zone (WBB) programme which was introduced in November 2020 to enable entrepreneurs to conduct business in areas in the three Federal Territories needs to be reviewed in order to meet its real goals.
The Malaysian Federation of Hawkers and Traders Association president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman said this was due to the fact that there are a number of traders and hawkers who are allegedly taking advantage of doing business in unauthorised locations such as on sidewalks thus blocking pedestrian traffic, thus causing great inconvenience to the local community. He said if there are applications to do business under WBB, it should stop!
“We have received many complaints… because the stalls are placed on the sidewalk, members of the public are forced to walk on the road thus putting their own safety at risk,” he said.
Rosli said WBB was originally aimed at helping those who lost their income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by giving them free business space.
However, on taking into account the recovering economic situation, he said the initiative needs to be reviewed by setting certain limits as there are allegations that traders and hawkers are taking advantage of the programme. rather than approving more traders’ applications under the WBB, it is better for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to take care of the existing traders.
Similarly, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Food Truck Entrepreneurs Association (KLFTEA) president Muhammad Azlan Abas admitted that there was confusion with the term free trade under WBB.
“The term WBB refers to doing business in a permitted area, not on a pedestrian or sidewalk area. What if a member of the public gets injured?.
“Therefore in order to overcome the proliferation of hawkers and traders, there should be immediate monitoring and enforcement by DBKL. Perhaps DBKL can hold discussions with traders or hawkers to determine the appropriate location so that it will not be like before (doing business anywhere),” he said.
