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WITHOUT illegal jobs and illegal foreign workers, the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market is now a cleaner and more spacious place for customers to shop for their essentials.
In a four-day sanitization exercise, the authorities moved to rid the place of illegal posts and eliminate illegal immigrants, and carried out sanitation on the market when the Enhanced Movement Order (MCO) was enforced from 20 April in the areas surrounding Pusat Bandar Utara here.
Client Thiagarajan Govindasamy, who was there to buy supplies for his restaurant on Tuesday (May 5), said the place is now very different from his pre-MCO days, when one had to cautiously walk around stained puddles of saliva in red left by foreigners who had a habit of chewing betel leaves while working.
He added that the market was a more comfortable place to shop as visitors were now able to move freely on open paths between the stalls.
Previously, it was congested with ad hoc positions and workers telling customers to walk away while moving products these ways.
The parking area, once filled with illegal booths, has also been cleared, making it easier for visitors to find a spot.
There’s also more room for wholesale buyers to load merchandise into their trucks and vans.
Merchants are also hiring locations to fill their stalls and assist customers with bulk purchases.
“We managed to get help from friends and through social media posts,” said a wholesaler who just wanted to be known as Tan.
Most merchants have also taken on the task of moving boxes and heavy boxes on their own, either manually or using forklifts.
“In my case, since I’m old, I have to help my son,” said Tan.
Vegetable vendor Liew Mun Seng said merchants overall were pleased that authorities played their part in improving the market.
He added that all booth owners received free tests for Covid-19.
For shoppers who prefer to avoid large crowds, Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers Association President Wong Keng Fatt suggested they come Tuesday or Thursday.
“These days, the disinfection exercise will be held from 6 p.m. until noon. Since this requires vegetable vendors to remove their produce from the floor, some vendors will choose not to open to avoid the hassle.
“So when these stores close, the commercial floor is less crowded,” said Wong.
Hours of operation in the wholesale market during the MCO are from noon to 7 a.m. and from 10 a.m. at 7 p.m.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when disinfection is carried out, the market is closed from 16:00 to 18:00. The market is closed on Sundays.
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