PKR Youth Setiawangsa treasurer Muhammad Arif Safruddin (2nd right) speaks to a trader in Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur June 14, 2018. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — A controversy over power abuse by Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders over the allocation of Ramadan bazaar lots has taken a new turn after a City Hall (DBKL) official asserted that approval was given because of a support letter from a senior party lawmaker.

DBKL’s Licensing and Petty Traders Development Department director Anwar Mohd Zain told The Star that he reversed an earlier decision and approved the application for 80 extra bazaar lots from a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) Youth member after receiving a support letter from Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun.

“We said no initially, but he kept pestering us and we only gave in after receiving the Bukit Bintang MP’s support letter.

“We also agreed after he claimed that he was only doing it to help poor people earn some money for Hari Raya,” Anwar was quoted saying.

He explained that DBKL had rejected the application earlier as there was no more space in the Masjid India area to properly accommodate new lots, and designated an area near Maybank, which did not block the flow of traffic, for the new stalls.

Anwar added that he had emphasised to the PPBM Youth man that the latter must cooperate with the existing bazaar traders who had set up shop in the Masjid India area.

Yesterday, news portal Malaysiakini named the PPBM Youth member in its report on the political rent-seeking allegations by bazaar traders in Masjid India.

The traders claimed the PPBM Youth member had used his political connections to impose charges on businesses in the area.

PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has filed a police report over the matter.

The Star also reported Bukit Bintang PPBM chief Zailani Isausuludin as saying he will lodge a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the allegation.