KUALA LUMPUR: Jalan Masjid India traders want to have a meeting with the authorities to help ease their woes following the sinkholes that appeared there over the last few days.
Batu member of parliament P. Prabakaran said he had received many complaints from traders' associations regarding the safety of their business premises.
"Kuala Lumpur City Hall said there were signs of other sinkholes at the location. This is a serious matter.
"The traders' association here have expressed their fears," he said today at the scene, where authorities continue their search for Indian tourist G. Vijaya Lakshmi who was swallowed by a sinkhole last Friday.
Another sinkhole appeared on Wednesday.
Prabakaran had recently met 12 representatives from businesses in the area.
"They want to have a meeting with Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the minister in the Prime Minister's Department overseeing the Federal Territories and other agencies involved," he said.
Prabakaran said there needed to be discussions so that incident like this did not recur.
Prabakaran said the traders' representatives had informed him that they had previously alerted the authorities about sinkholes in the area.
"I also heard from them that this matter (the sinkholes) had been going on for almost seven years.
"Every time there is a small or big sinkhole, they just come and patch it," he said.
Prabakaran said while the search for Vijaya Lakshmi was important, the authorities should not lose focus on other matters.
"So, I am here hoping to help the traders get a meeting with relevant agencies, the mayor or ministers.
"The traders have lost more than 70 per cent of their earnings.
"They claim to be afraid for the safety of their family and customers," he said.
Malaysian Indian Goldsmith Jewellers Association president Datuk Abdul Rasull Abdul Razak said traders were worried that more sinkholes would appear.
"We want the authorities to ensure safety in Jalan Masjid India because there are many traders and visitors here.
"A pedestrian area is planned here as part of the River Of Life project, therefore the safety of the public in this area needs to be prioritised," he said.
He said the 47 jewellers on Jalan Masjid India and nearby areas saw business drop 70 to 90 per cent since the sinkholes appeared.