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| One of the 18 structures at the currently unoccupied Tamu Gadong, which is split into six allocations for each vendors |
Aaron Wong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
LITTLE stall space and restrictions on bringing cooking equipment were cited as the main reasons for vendors’ refusal to be relocated to the unoccupied $2.6 million Tamu Gadong.
The Tamu Gadong was opened in 2012 to accommodate vendors from Tamu Kianggeh and the Gadong Night Market.
However, Minister of Home Affairs Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awg Othman said that Tamu Gadong has failed to take off and is in the process of being tendered out to be run privately.
The minister made the remarks during the 11th Legislative Council session last week.
Stall owners said Tamu Gadong’s 18 tents – each comprising six compartments – were far too small to display fresh produce or in using cooking equipment.
They also claimed that the Municipal Department did not consult them on stall size and other infrastructure details about the tamu before it was constructed.
Arifin Tuah, who sells fruits with his wife at the Gadong Night Market, said he had relocated to Tamu Gadong a few years ago during Ramadhan, but soon moved out as sales were poor.
“I moved in to sell during Ramadhan, where my main product was sugar cane juice. To begin with, there was no loading area and I had to carry all the 300kg of sugar cane up the steps,” he said.
“During my short stint there, the number of vendors had already begun to dwindle. Most of the time passersby thought we were there just hanging out (lepak).”
Nordin Hj Jaman, who also sells fruits with his mother at the Gadong Market, said the stall compartment was too small to store and display their produce.
“If the whole circular tent was just meant for one tenant, then the current size would be perfect – but it’s split into six compartments, each of which only has three tiny tiers to display the products,” he said.
Pointing to his current stall at the Gadong Night Market, rented out for close to $400 a year, he said “the traditional market booth which is square or rectangle in shape, has a lot of space to display all the fruits or vegetables whether on the ground or on tables.”
“No extensions or tables are allowed at the new Tamu Gadong, which is another drawback.” he added.
His mother, Hjh Intan, said that vendors refused to relocate because they needed their current setup to maintain their livelihood.
“Of course we would like a permanent place to trade. We do not want to move not because we are stubborn, or don’t know any better, but because we just cannot trade in such a small space,” she said.
Two stall owners at the Gadong Night Market, who were both selling soto, said they declined to move because they were informed that they could not cook on site.
“We were informed that we could not bring gas cylinders to cook food or to keep it hot,” said the stall owners who declined to be named.
“This (lack of cooking facility) is a deal breaker for us because customers demand freshly cooked and hot food. I don’t know if people would like to buy food cooked and packaged a day before or much earlier in the day”, he said. “The talk about the place being tendered out for some company to run is less important to us vendors. Unless Tamu Gadong is renovated to provide space for cooking and placing equipment, we really cannot move.”
All stall owners when interviewed at the Gadong Night Market praised the Belait and Tutong marketplaces as ideal examples for trade.
“We would like a permanent place to trade, no doubt. The Tutong market is a great example because it provides shelter from weather, and has ample space for vendors to showcase their products on spacious tables,” said Arifin. Meanwhile, those from Tamu Kianggeh said they had been approached by the authorities for relocation to Tamu Gadong a few years ago, but declined because trading in the heart of the capital had become a “way of life.”
“For many of us who have been trading here for decades and living near Kg Ayer has become part of our tradition,” she said.
“If we were to relocate, we would have to travel further and look for new customers.”
Sumber - The Brunei Times
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