KUCHING: Special Assistant to Bandar Kuching MP, George Lam urged Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) to take immediate action to address the ongoing bird infestation problem at the hawker centre located on the second floor of Sungai Maong Wet Market.
Lam said the hygiene situation there is worrying as both diners and hawkers have to endure bird droppings falling into bowls, onto tables, chairs, and the floor.
“During my walkabout at Sungai Maong Wet Market last week in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival, hawkers personally raised these issues to me. I saw for myself how serious the bird problem has become,” he said.
He said the hawker centre falls under the jurisdiction of DBKU, which is responsible for maintaining cleanliness in public food centres.
According to Lam, hawkers have complained that the issue has persisted for quite some time despite repeated reports to DBKU. “The response they often receive is that there is ‘no allocation.’ But hygiene should be a top priority. This matter must not be delayed further,” he stressed.
Lam also highlighted that DBKU recently prohibited hawkers from placing extra tables outside their stall boundaries, citing obstruction of pedestrian walkways. However, he found such enforcement unnecessary after observing that hawkers only place small tables in front of their stalls for food preparation, which do not block diners or pedestrians.
“Before enforcing such rules, the council should go to the ground and assess the real situation instead of drafting regulations from behind an office desk. These overly strict policies only confuse hawkers and disrupt their daily business,” he said.
Lam urged DBKU to install ultrasonic bird repellers at the market to resolve the hygiene problem and to allow hawkers some flexibility by permitting them to use a foldable table during operating hours, provided it is kept inside after closing.
By Connie Chieng