THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is urging all unlicenced roadside hawkers to apply for licence to operate in vacant stalls in food complexes, markets, and hawker centres under the supervision of the council.
Its mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang told a press conference today that MBPP had identified 300 roadside hawkers in nine state constituencies on Penang island.
The nine state constituencies are Batu Maung, Pulau Betong, Teluk Bahang, Batu Uban, Tanjung Bungah, Bayan Lepas, Pengkalan Kota, Air Putih and Seri Delima.
Yew said 99 out of the 300 roadside hawkers were unlicenced.
“The rest are either licenced or night market operators.
“We have over 500 vacant stalls in various premises to be taken up by the roadside hawkers. Initially we had 601 vacant stalls, but 33 had been taken up recently.
“We urge the 99 unlicenced roadside hawkers to apply for their operating licence. They can enjoy the licence and rental fees waiver until end of the year.
“The scheme, which is currently ongoing, also applies to traders at public markets, hawker centre operators and so on,” Yew said after accompanying state Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo in a visit at the Kuantan Road Market today.
He stressed on the importance of operating businesses in a safer environment in view of the Covid-19 situation.
On a separate note, Northeast district police chief ACP Soffian Santong said the police had issued 408 summonses from June until today. The summonses were issued for flouting the current standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as failure to scan the MySejahtera QR code, not wearing a face mask, and others.
ACP Soffian advised the people to follow the SOPs strictly and not to jeopardise the efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Chan Kok Kuan