Traders cry foul over Deepavali carnival

The Malaysian Indian Textiles and General Stores Association (Mita) has claimed that many local Indian traders suffered substantial losses resulting from the Indian shopping carnivals and trade fairs held in the country.

Mita secretary Maheswary Ramasamy said the shopping carnivals held in conjunction with Deepavali last month drastically affected the livelihood of many local Indian businessmen in the Klang Valley, especially those in Little India, Brickfields.

"Such carnivals and trade fairs participated by foreign textile, handicraft and costume jewellery companies have affected the good business which used to be enjoyed by the local traders during the festive season.

"Its not fair for foreign traders to come into our country and take away the local traders' business," she said.

Indian trade fairs organised by local event management companies were originally meant to be participated by manufacturers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to introduce products like textiles, handicraft and costume jewellery to local traders.

Maheswary noted the objective had changed over the years as foreign traders involved in the trade fairs started doing retail sale to local customers.

The trade fairs had also become an avenue for foreign textile companies to sell their substandard and rejected items to vulnerable consumers.

She urged the relevant authorities to stop issuing permits to local event management companies that bring in foreign traders to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Surendran Subramaniam, a saree shop owner from Sungai Petani, Kedah, claimed he suffered 70 per cent business losses due to Deepavali Carnival held at Bukit Jalil and Village Mall, Sungai Petani, recently.

"With all these trade fairs being organised in September, October and November, the good business we used to enjoy during Deepavali is also doomed," he said, adding local Indian traders can only expect good business during the festive season to recover their debts.

Another Indian trader from Penang who insisted on anonymity said many Indian traders selling lower range items in the island suffered losses of about 20 to 30 per cent due to the Deepavali shopping carnivals and trade fairs.

"There were many stalls set up by organisers of such trade fairs at Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) and this had badly affected the business of the surrounding Indian traders selling lower range items like clothings and imitation jewellery costing below RM100," he said.