Three associations representing petty traders have lodged a police report, calling for an investigation into the large numbers of migrants operating at Petaling Street.

"We want the police to investigate. Why is Petaling Street's immunity so strong? It is clear to see that Petaling Street is owned by foreigners. Why is it that only foreigners are doing business there, when Petaling Street is listed in our country's tourism calendar?

"So, to clear up our country's image, we must clear up the foreigners who do business at Petaling Street," Small and Medium Business Enterprise Alliance (Ikhlas) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah said outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters today.

Ikhlas was accompanied by Malaysian Muslim People's Coalition (Irimm) and Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM) to make the police report today.

Irimm president Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay said Malaysian people must be represented at any location designated as a tourist attraction.

"Whenever you say it's like a tourist centre, then the Malaysian people should be given the opportunity to run their businesses there. So, whenever the tourists go there, they will know that Malaysian people are there," Amir Amsaa said.

Ridzuan also questioned why the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) has turned a blind eye to the counterfeit goods sold at Petaling Street for so long.

"Why is KPDNKK letting them sell counterfeit goods at Petaling Street? Why haven't they taken action? Are they scared or cowards? Or is there some political element to this?" Ridzuan asked.

Another issue he wants addressed is for the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to allocate more space within Petaling Street for races other than the Chinese.

"People always use the word racist, but the vendors or the association at Petaling Street should stop being racist and only let one race (to do business there)," he said.

‘Mastermind behind Chinese envoy’s visit’

Ridzuan also called on the authorities to investigate the "mastermind association" at Petaling Street, which he claimed invited the ambassador from China to visit Petaling Street.

The authorities must also investigate the association because it protects the foreigners who set up their businesses in Petaling Street, he claimed.

The three traders associations also asked the police to look into the purported intention of Chinese Ambassador Huang Huikang’s visit to Petaling Street on Sept 26.

"He (the ambassador) didn't have to go to Petaling Street because there are no Chinese citizens there. There are only Malaysian people there.

"He shouldn't fantasise that the Malaysian Chinese are his people. They are not. The Chinese in this country are Malaysian people," MJMM president Abdul Rani Kulup ( photo ) said.

Huang visited Petaling Street last week on the eve of a purported rally against the Chinese vendors there by a red shirt group led by Umno leaders, but the rally was subsequently aborted.

He issued a statement when there, saying that while China does not intervene in domestic affairs, it would not sit idly if its local interests were affected.

Huang’s statement raised a diplomatic tiff, with the ambassador called up by Wisma Putra to explain his statement, though Wisma Putra later cancelled the meeting.

The cabinet said later it did not think Huang was interfering in domestic affairs, while Huang said he was merely trying to gauge the situation before issuing a travel advisory to tourists from China.

‘No need for Huang to issue travel advisory’

Abdul Rani said there was no need for Huang to issue any travel advisory as Malaysia has always been a peaceful country.

He also dismissed the cabinet's announcement, saying anyone can say Huang was not interfering in domestic affairs.

"But I want to hear it directly from him (Huang). He should issue a clear statement by apologising or saying he wasn't interfering," Abdul Rani said.

Before Huang's visit to Petaling Street, the popular tourist destination had been the site of a scuffle between red shirt protesters and the police on Sept 16, when the protesters were continuously denied entry into Petaling Street by the police on that day of their protest against the Bersih 4 rally.

Abdul Rani said the protesters were not trying to hurt the Chinese traders there, but instead they were trying to find the Otai Reformasi volunteers.

Otai Reformasi had purportedly sent 500 volunteers to monitor the red shirt rally that day, and they were reportedly stuck behind the police barricades at Petaling Street.

"It was just a misunderstanding, not with the Petaling Street traders, but with the Otai Reformasi people . They said if red shirts come to Petaling Street, they (red shirts) have to face them (Otai Reformasi). But they weren't there," Abdul Rani added.