Gov't wants KL wholesale market to modernise, automate and get rid of migrant workers

CORONAVIRUS | The Kuala Lumpur wholesale market's operations have been severely impacted since last week as the workers mostly undocumented migrants, who resided at Selayang were confined under an enhanced movement control order (MCO).

This had prompted Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seong Fish Wholesaler Association to seek help from the government to allow other undocumented migrants who reside outside the enhanced MCO vicinity to work at the wholesale market for time being and in the long run, to legalise these undocumented migrants and refugees.

The matter was raised by the association in a meeting chaired by Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara on Wednesday afternoon.

When asked about this in an interview with Malaysiakini and KiniTV the next day, Santhara declined weight in the matter as migrant workers do not fall under the jurisdiction of his ministry.

He, however, painted a different future of the wholesale market without the illegal migrant workers where it will transform and largely automate its operations...