Kuching: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak Chairman Chong Chieng Jen has urged the Minister of Local Government, who is also the President of The Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), to shift his focus toward the welfare of hawkers operating in public markets under his Ministry’s jurisdiction.
Chong made the call following a visit to the 3rd Mile Council Market, where he and the DAP service team found the public toilet facilities flooded and unusable – an issue, traders say, that has persisted for weeks without action from the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).
He further criticised the MPP for its slow response and accused the council of showing more urgency in enforcing politically motivated actions than in solving real problems affecting the people.
“When the Councils under the Ministry of Local Government can act immediately in removing DAP’s flags and taking immediate action against event organisers for organising DAP’s events.
“But the Council under the same Ministry is taking months to repair toilets, something that is of urgent importance to all the hawkers in the market. This is definitely a clear case priority misplaced,” he said in a statement.
Calling for greater accountability from those in charge, Chong said MPP service leaves much to be desired, and Tan Kai, the Chairman, needs to step up to the job.
“Toilet is an essential feature of any Market. As the saying goes, “to answer the call of nature”, when a person needs to go to the toilet, all other things have to be put aside.
“To have the toilet of a market having flooding problem for weeks is just not taking the problem seriously,” he said.
Chong added that such issues are not about politics but about ensuring dignified working conditions for the public. He vowed that DAP would continue speaking up for neglected communities until real improvements are seen.
