Tamu vendors at the Dongonggon weekend market get financial assistance

By AVV

1 August 2024

PENAMPANG : Every Thursday and Friday, vendors gather at Dongonggon Tamu, the marketplace, where their laughter mingles with the chatter of customers eager to browse the offerings. The air was always rich with the scent of ripe fruits, all manners of vegetables and salted fish, meat, freshly baked bread, and cakes creating an atmosphere of community and celebration.

On June 30, a Sunday, it started to rain for several hours, triggering a major flood in low-lying areas in the Penampang area.

At that time of the flood, it was also high tide, so the river easily overflowed.

Needless to say, many people lost their belongings, properties were damaged and homes were partly submerged.

Within hours, the once-bustling marketplace transformed as water rushed through the stalls, sweeping away fruits, vegetables, and handmade goods in a merciless current. Vendors put their wares on tables but their stalls were soon engulfed by the muddy floodwaters. The ground became a swirling mass of debris, with crates and tables floating away in the flood.  The people couldn’t salvage any of their belongings.

Community leaders came forward to lend assistance, as did Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and compassionate members of the public.

This outpouring of contribution was continued today in a brief ceremony at Dewan Siga Tuavon, where the Market Traders Association Dongonggon Penampang, led by Chairman John Bonius Gintos, received a donation of RM98,500 from SME Corp. The mock cheque was presented by Penampang Member of Parliament Datuk Ewon Benedick, who also serves as the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative (MEDC).

“We are grateful for the contribution, as it will aid us in restarting our business and purchasing necessary items as the recent flood caused significant damage, resulting in the loss of equipment, stalls and stock stored at the market,” he said.

John highlighted the challenges in estimating losses due to the varying selling values of items lost, including essential tools like tables, folding tables, and chairs that had to be replaced.

Despite many individuals being affected by the flood, only 197 are registered with the association, while there are numerous other sellers at the Dongonggon market. John noted that the information available to him as the association chairman is limited to those 197 individuals. Describing the sudden onset of the flood, he mentioned that it rose to unprecedented levels of three to four feet, leaving no time to salvage goods.

Looking ahead, John said they looked forward to the market upgrades, expressing optimism that it would contribute to creating a better and more comfortable selling environment for both vendors and customers.

The distribution of assistance was carried out through the Ehsan@Kuskop Programme where they handed over assistance to flood victims. During the event, MEDC through its agencies distributed humanitarian aid amounting to RM650,200 to students and traders in the Penampang who were severely affected by the recent floods.

Of the amount, RM497,700 of humanitarian aid was distributed to 19 primary and secondary schools involving 1,659 recipients.

RM152,500 was distributed to 268 traders from the Penampang District Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association, Donggongon Market Traders Association, and Tekun Nasional Penampang entrepreneurs.

The agencies involved in the Ehsan@Kuskop Programme were SME Corp, SME Bank, Tekun Nasional, Pernas, Bank Rakyat, Coop Bank Pertama, Angkasa, and Yayasan Bank Rakyat.