SIBU: Angered at the prospect of losing their so called “golden locations” at the Sibu Central Market here, three traders including a woman, resorted to assaulting two Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) enforcement officers who were only doing their job on Aug 22.
Earlier, they had threatened many of the other traders “to mind your own business” but at the same time to reject the council’s recent reintroduction of balloting to rotate all trading spots at the market.
SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King said the three did this to ensure they could continue to trade at the same spots which they had enjoyed for years.
“Now this selfish group’s days are over. Beginning today, we will carry out balloting for all the traders at the market to decide on their trading places,” he said.
The market is one of the biggest in the state with up to 180 weekend trading lots and 107 on ordinary days.It is also a popular tourist destination here.
Tiong said the system would ensure all the traders would have the opportunity now and then to occupy the good locations that were in the path of daily customers.
“The council decided to implement monthly balloting since June this year so as to be fair to all traders. But the small group had been against it,” he said.
On the fate of the three rogue traders who had assaulted his men, Tiong said they had been called up by the police investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, at the council’s monthly meeting, the councillors were all for SMC to implement its decision without fear.
In urging SMC to be firm in its policies, councillor Chieng Boung Toon said once a resolution had been made, SMC must implement it so that no one would treat it as a toothless tiger.
Councillor Christopher Adrian said the council must stand up for the silent majority and not the selfish minority.
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