KUALA LUMPUR — The practice of selling Ramadan bazaar licences to third parties has been ongoing for several years in the capital, with prices ranging between RM20,000 and RM30,000, depending on the location’s strategic value.
Federation of Malaysian Hawkers and Petty Traders Associations president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman revealed that this activity is particularly common along Jalan Masjid India, allegedly occurring between traders without the involvement of any hawkers’ associations.
According to Rosli, these transactions primarily involve dry goods vendors selling festive items such as Raya clothing, decorations, and songkok rather than food stall operators offering iftar delicacies.
“This practice of traders selling bazaar spots among themselves is nothing new—it has been happening for years.
“In some cases, these sites are sold for up to RM30,000,” he told Scoop.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to revoke the licences of any traders found transferring their permits to third parties.
He emphasised that this issue has persisted for years due to agents profiting from hefty commissions.
Last month, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, announced that DBKL would fully oversee Ramadan bazaar licence applications and management from this year onwards.
This move aims to ensure fairer rental prices for traders and better overall administration.
Rosli also disclosed that some third parties attempt to circumvent enforcement by listing the original licence holder as a stall assistant rather than transferring the permit outright.
“This way, authorities remain unaware because the original licence holder’s name is still registered at the stall, even if they are merely a figurehead.
“They profit solely from selling the spot to another trader,” he said.
To combat this long-standing issue, Rosli proposed that DBKL tighten regulations by requiring all stall assistants to be direct family members of the licence holder.
“One effective way to prevent licence holders from selling their spots is to mandate that only family members can be listed as assistants.
“For example, if an elder sister is awarded a bazaar lot, only siblings or close relatives should be eligible as assistants.
“This would ensure that only those with legitimate ties to the business can operate at the stall, ultimately curbing the resale of bazaar lots,” he added.
Rosli also stressed that hawkers’ associations have no involvement in the illicit sale of bazaar spots, dismissing previous claims implicating them in such transactions. — February 12, 2025