BY YVONNE T. NATHAN

POOR ventilation and water shortage are among the problems Pudu traders and hawkers have been facing ever since moving into the Integrated Commercial Centre (ICC) over a year ago.

Traders shifted into the RM57mil seven-storey building in Jalan Kijang last April, from the popular Imbi market where they had been operating for more than 20 years.

ICC Pudu Traders Association chairman Chow Chee Keong, 48, said water cuts had occurred three to four times within a year.

“Water pressure is very low almost every day, probably because of new development projects in the surrounding area,” said the butcher of 20 years.

“Business is good but water is really important, especially when dealing with food.

“There were times when we did not have water for three to four days and Syabas (Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) only sent the water tanker on the second day,” Chow said.

Mee Halia hawker Lee CW, 30, said he had to store at least nine buckets of water in case there is a water cut.

“But what I cannot take even more is the heat from the lack of ventilation, it feels like we are working in a sauna every day,” said Lee.

Others traders related experiences of visitors stuck inside faulty elevators for at least an hour, cracked water pipes, closed toilets during water cuts as well as low water pressure.

Bukit Bintang MCA Public Service Bureau head Patrick Leong who highlighted the issues, however, pointed out that ICC Pudu was a convenient place for city folk to do their marketing.

“We will be in touch with the relevant authorities to resolve these problems,” he added.

A representative from Kuala Lumpur City Hall said DBKL would look into the situation.