SIBU: Traders at the decade old food and drinks market in Jalan Khoo Peng Loong finally have a sense of belonging as the place has been given a name — Khoo Peng Loong Food Garden.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has responded to their requests to give the market a proper name.
The 21 traders at the market by the riverfront also wanted the council to look into other requests.
In December last year, after moving back to the market following five months of renovation work, they discovered that the market would be flooded after heavy rain.
They had requested SMC to redo the ceiling louvres so that this would not happen.
The improperly installed ceiling louvre at the market’s entrance has a big gap between the horizontal slabs, causing rainwater to easily enter the place.
A trader, James Ling, when met yesterday thanked SMC for listening to their requests.
Ling, 60, who is operating the stall with his wife, is a third generation trader there, having inherited the business from his father and grandfather.
“On the rainwater issue, the council has last month installed 10 sunshade awnings, hoping to put an end to the problem. However such measure is not an end-all solution as rainwater is still flooding the place, affecting mostly the first three to four stalls. When this happens, customers will be running for cover,” he grimaced.
Explaining, he said during heavy rain, the wind would blow the awnings inward, resulting in rainwater rushing in.
“They should not use this type of awnings to solve the rain problem. They might be cheaper but unsuitable. The awnings are also awkward looking for a beautiful market like ours,” he added.
Ling said his previous suggestion was still much practical, which is to make the slabs of the ceiling louvre slope more inwards.
On the filthy drain behind the market, Ling said they could not help to clean it despite request from the council.
“Our stall does not have a backdoor so it is impossible for us to go to the back to help clean the drain. Unless the council agrees to make a back exit for us, we can’t do it.”
