KUALA LUMPUR – A video showing a scuffle between Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers and a balloon seller in an area popular with Hari Raya Aidilfitri shoppers has garnered millions of views on social media, prompting questions over the city’s crackdown on illegal street vendors ahead of the country’s largest holiday.
Many on social media view the incident on the evening of March 28 as yet another case of the government being overtly harsh towards Malay Muslims just days before their most important celebration.
Opinion is also split over whether there should be compromise and compassion during the Islamic fasting month, or if legal provisions should be strictly adhered to.
In the video, a group of DBKL officers can be seen acting against a balloon seller while others are trying to maintain order in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a popular shopping street in downtown KL for the Malay community at the end of Ramadan.
Ms Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, a political activist from the opposition Perikatan Nasional who was among the first to upload the video onto her Facebook page, wrote: “There was some discretion and consideration for the vendors in the past. But we understand that DBKL officers take orders from the mayor and the minister. Can such arbitrary actions be justified?”
Her post has garnered 5.2 million views as at 11pm on March 29.
Mr Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, has condemned the act and urged an immediate probe.
Mr Akmal Salleh, youth chief of Umno – the main Malay Muslim party in the Anwar administration – offered legal assistance to the balloon vendor. “Did the balloon vendor commit a serious crime? How can he be treated like this?” Mr Akmal posted on Facebook.
DBKL has since clarified that the balloon vendor was obstructing pedestrian traffic and ignored two prior reprimands before becoming aggressive towards the enforcement officers.
“In usual practice, DBKL will issue a reprimand before taking action. Other unlicensed vendors have cooperated and left... However, when the third reprimand was issued, the balloon vendor became aggressive, and physical contact occurred when he pushed the enforcement officer who was on duty.
“To de-escalate the situation and prevent it from escalating further, plainclothes officers swiftly intervened to calm the vendor and separate him from continuing his aggression against the officer,” DBKL said in a statement on March 29.
This is the latest in a series of clashes between the authorities and unlicensed street vendors, after officials clamped down against them on March 23.
The move is seen as not showing compassion towards street vendors who want to earn extra money for their families during the festive period.
A balloon seller, who wanted to be known only as Aidil, felt the authorities were being too heavy-handed. “Since 2019, I have been applying for the street hawker’s licence. But for unknown reasons, it was turned down till now,” the 33-year-old said when The Straits Times visited the KL shopping street on March 29.
“Every day you can see the enforcement officers coming down and a clash will occur. They want to cut our balloon ties. We make a loss if our balloons fly away.”
On March 27, an unlicensed mineral water and tissue vendor was seen throwing his goods at the officers in Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, in Kuala Lumpur. The officers kept mum during the incident.
Earlier, on March 23, a video clip of a petai (bitter bean) seller’s heated exchange with Negeri Sembilan local council officers sparked online sympathy for the elderly man, whose struggles to make ends meet went viral. Eventually, the issue was resolved amicably, with the authorities issuing a temporary licence to the seller.
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Thanks for sharing!