300 TRADERS PROTEST MDPT ACTION TO CLOSE DAY MARKET

KUALA NERANG, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- About 300 day market traders in Pekan Naka,

here lost almost RM90,000 when they could not run their business as usual

following the closure the business area for six days starting today by the

Padang Terap Municipal Council (MDPT).

A spokesman for the traders, Mat Zuki Samsu, 42, said MDPT had informed that

the market was closed to enable cleaning works to check the breeding of aedes

mosquitoes and the outbreak of Leptospirosis (rat urine disease).

"MDPT should find another alternative area, such as the roadside for

example, to enable us to trade instead of stopping us from earning an income.

"Many food products such as vegetables and fish were spoilt as they could

not be sold," he said today, adding that the traders only managed to collect

around RM300 since some of the traders only operated on Sunday.

He said the two-hour discussion with the MDPT Secretary, Abdul Gafar Yahya

failed to find a solution as the council could not give them an assurance to

trade next week.

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TRADERS-LOST 2 (LAST) KUALA NERANG

Meanwhile, Abdul Gafar said the market was closed as the Council received

complaints from local residents about thrash like plastic and fish being heaped

and vegetable waste being left behind after the day market closed.

He said the Koperasi Pasar Sehari Naka had been directed to handle the

market and carry out cleaning works in the area immediately.

"If they failed, we will terminate their contract and handle this matter by

ourselves," he said.

-- BERNAMA

MKF FZL AO