KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Sharine Sarine Shamima Bahurdeen, 47, who works at a goldsmith on Jalan Masjid India, has had to remove all her jewellery from the displays in front of her store.
Instead of showcasing her wares, it has become crowded with reporters and cameramen who have turned the space into a staging area while covering a sinkhole here that swallowed a woman last Friday.
Her store is almost directly in front of the sinkhole that opened up without warning under the woman, whom search and rescue teams are still trying to find.
For the past week, Sharine said there has not been any customers
“We were also told not to open on Saturday and Sunday, so we didn’t have any sales over the weekend.
“For one, the rent is high, salaries need to be paid, but I don’t feel bad about closing because I’ve been thinking about the son of the victim and how he must feel so distraught not knowing what’s happening to his mother. My wish is for a good ending, but for now, business-wise, we’re definitely feeling the pinch,” she said when met.
At RKN Jewels, Kumar Baljit Singh, 32, said the extremely low foot traffic was starting to cause concern.
Kumar said the weekend disruptions were the most painful, as those were typically when the most customers would patronise.
“Rent here is RM70,000 per month, not including salaries. How do we find this money?” he said
Further down the street, a trader who named Nathan from Happy Toys expressed concern that foot traffic would remain extremely slow in the coming days due to the difficulty of crossing the street.
“You need to go all the way to the end of the street to cross the road, as authorities have cordoned off the area.
“For us to survive, we need RM1,500 at least per day. Sales since 8am today are only RM600. So, how to pay the rent and stuff is a headache now. If they can settle things faster, it’ll be great for all of us, as people here can only survive with plenty of foot traffic,” he said.
At Palace Hotel, a staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said they have been experiencing daily cancellations since the incident.
“The occupancy rate is now around 40 per cent. On normal days, it’s around 50 to 60 per cent,” he said.
Asked if the hotel would be able to withstand sustained disruption to bookings, the employee said he was not in a position to answer.
At MK Inn, another budget hotel nearby, one worker said a lack of information from authorities about the search operations was also worsening the situation.
“Just now, I went to the bank, and it’s closed — I’m not sure why or if it’s just a half-day closure,” the person said.
“I can’t say if we’re feeling the impact yet, as it’s still new. We’ll see what the police and DBKL say. For now, since it’s only been a few days, it’s not as bad yet, but it’s heading that way. I’m sure the other hotels will struggle too.”
Jalan Masjid India has been closed to all vehicles following the appearance of another sinkhole near a police beat, about 50 metres from the location of the first incident.
While the police have assured the public that Jalan Masjid India is safe, the entire street has been cordoned off with yellow tape, preventing people from crossing the road.
The street is popular among locals and tourists, many of whom have stayed away since the first sinkhole appeared.
The sinkhole incident last Friday caused a woman, Vijayaletchumy, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, India, to go missing after falling into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole. The search and rescue operation has now entered its seventh day.
There was a breakthrough this morning when two K9 dogs detected an obstruction between the sinkhole and the second sewage chamber.
