Put off by pong at Meru market

KLANG Municipal Council (MPK) will be constructing two more toilets at Block D in Pasar Besar Meru, Klang, to cater to the growing number of visitors.

MPK Market Management and Small Traders Department director Azhar Samsudin said although the 27-year-old market had enough toilets for traders and visitors, new toilets would be built to meet future demand.

He said market traders should help MPK curb vandalism when they come across people misusing the toilets.

“Inform MPK if you see people vandalising or stealing fixtures from the toilets,” he said.

Azhar said vandalism was rampant as outsiders tend to steal pipes, fixtures and fittings, and flush things that should not be flushed down the toilet.

“People also throw clothes and hard items into toilet bowls, causing blockage. This is rampant during weekends and public holidays when more people visit the market,” he said.

Traders, however, disagreed with MPK that there were enough toilets for them and visitors.

A man standing at the entrance of the smelly toilet which is just next to the vegetable stalls. — Photos: KK SHAM/The Star

They said toilets on the market’s ground floor and first floor of Block A and B were in a bad state with only two cubicles deemed usable, out of a dozen.

There are six cubicles for men and six for women in both blocks.

The filthy toilets need to be disinfected and thoroughly cleaned, said the traders.

During a check, StarMetro saw toilet bowls filled with excrement and when flushed, the waste matter could not flow down and out to the sewerage channel.

The foul smell makes shopping for groceries at the market very unpleasant but it is far worse for traders who are stuck with it.

The smell permeates the market and is noticeable even in the meat and seafood sections.

At Block B, the drain is clogged, resulting in flies buzzing around and their eggs dotting the surface of the unsightly black water.

The drain at Block B of the market is filled with rubbish in black water.

Market-goers and traders either have to mask up or hold their noses as the smell is putrid.

Klang Market Stall Holders Association chairman Ng Joo Keong said the toilets were in working order when the market underwent renovations last year.

“The problem started about six months ago when the toilets started falling apart, became clogged and unusable,” he said.

“Many traders have complained that they are losing customers as fewer people are visiting the market nowadays.

“This toilet problem is contributing to the drop in our business.

“MPK has to ensure the toilets are clean, to attract more customers here. After all, the MRT station is just opposite the market.”

He said he had lodged six complaints over the past few months but MPK had not taken action.

“Klang will soon become a city, so I hope MPK does something to fix the problem,” said Joo Keong who sells vegetables.

Joo Keong has lodged six complaints at MPK about the toilet problem, to no avail.

Another vegetable seller, Suliah Kasmuni, 57, said men were using toilets meant for women, out of necessity.

“My stall is located 10m from the toilet and some days, the smell is so bad that it stops people from patronising my stall,” she said.

“I prefer using toilet facilities outside the market even though I have to pay 50sen per visit.

“Even the outside ones are in bad shape,” said Suliah who lives in Kampung Jawa, Klang, and has been trading at the Meru Market for more than 10 years.

Vegetable-seller Yong Guat Hong, 59, said she was not comfortable going to the women’s toilet because men were using it too.

“I use a walking stick for mobility after being injured in an accident five years ago. Even the toilet meant for people with disabilities cannot be used and is closed.

“The smell coming from the toilets is bad and my stall is just next to it,” said a visibly upset Yong who relies on her 18-year-old son Ng Boon Kim for help to man the stall.

She said MPK should pay heed to traders’ complaints as it was challenging to earn a living in such conditions.

Suliah’s stall is just 10m from the toilet which the local council has failed to maintain.

Azhar, in reply, said the market’s sewerage system consisted of old pipes and had to be changed.

He acknowledged that only four out of 12 toilets were in working condition at the market.

“The eight toilets are not used either because of broken doors, pump malfunction or clogged toilets.

“The toilets are clogged because people are throwing rubbish into the toilet bowls.

“MPK is currently carrying out cleaning and maintenance of these toilets in stages.

“A contractor has been hired to clean the toilets thrice a day, in the morning, afternoon and evening, and MPK will monitor the situation,” he said.

The market, which opens from midnight to 5pm daily, has been operating since 1996.