Hawkers in Kanowit stage peaceful demonstration, demand to be relocated

The hawkers from Kanowit airing their displeasure with their trading area. They demand to be relocated elsewhere.

By Brandon Wong

SIBU, March 25: Less than RM5 a day.

That is how much the majority of hawkers trading at the bus terminal in Kanowit town earns daily, or so they claim.

Unable to feed their families, 50 of them held a peaceful street demonstration today, urging Kanowit District Council (KDC) to find them a more suitable venue to ply their trade because the current spot has low human traffic.

At about 10.30am, the demonstrators, carrying placards, walked all the way from their trading base to the KDC office. After passing their demands to a council representative, they dispersed peacefully around noon.

The demonstrators holding up placards urging the council to find them a more suitable place to trade, while other hawkers look on.

The hawkersā€™ original home of 50 years is Kanowit Bazaar, but they had to move to the bus terminal area to make way for a shopping mall.

KDC had actually planned to relocate them since early 2017, but the hawkers were reluctant to do so, until early this year. ā€” DayakDaily