Sarawak Malay and Bumiputera Traders Need Defences

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The building of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has reached a quarter-century and be unsafe for occupation will be demolished and will be redeveloped to provide comfort to traders doing business there. The Miri SEDC has given notice to the traders to vacate the premises due to it is unsafe and can threaten their safety if they continue doing business in the building.

According to the traders who do not want to be named said, once they were promised temporary site with affordable rent around the ‘Center Point’ buildings but now they are not allowed to do business there and was forced to move to other areas. The new rental place now is too expensive and for those who are low income is hard to do business in the new areas after they are directed to move by the SEDC.

The SEDC should provide temporary site or build a new building before demolishing the old building so that they can continue their business while waiting for completion of the new building. They also are not sure how long the new building is completed because they were not informed by the parties concerned.
Kswn Kedai SEDC
Among the areas to be demolished are food stalls and ‘Tamu’ in the same row with SEDC building. Despite their intention to build the new building, is a virtue for the traders but the way they treat the traders there is a bit extreme without thinking the future of the traders that are difficult to find a temporary site with a reasonable rental.

This is where the only place for the Malay/Bumiputera traders doing a business in the Miri city while waiting for completion of the new building some of them had to move to a place that is not so strategic to the business. They apply to the SEDC and the parties concerned to provide a temporary site with a reasonable rent for them to continue business in the area.

How to strengthen the Bumiputera economic if the problems of Malay/Bumiputera traders is not be defended and continue to be marginalized from the mainstream of development, especially small businesses that do business in the city.

We urge the SEDC and those concerned should be tolerant with the traders who have long been doing business there to give them the appropriate temporary place with affordable rent so they are not left in the lurch if forced to move out and rent a new place that is quite expensive nowadays in Miri city.

Hope this problem can be resolved amicably between the two parties for the future of the traders in the SEDC building particular the Malay/Bumiputera traders that still need the ideal place to continue their business.

Yours faithfully

Jofri Jaraiee
PAS Sarawak Deputy Commissioner iii cum PAS Miri Chief