Sunday Star, December 4, 2011

Traders in Kajang slash prices

KAJANG: Traders in Kajang began slashing prices to get rid of goods damaged in the floods that swept the town while many residents spent a tiring day cleaning up their homes.

A store owner in Jalan Bukit here, which was one of the worst hit areas, decided to sell his goods at half price.

“The floods have come. Take anything you want for half its price,” he announced as customers swarmed the shop to find goods ranging from clothes, blankets, curtains to electrical items, that were still usable.

The trader said he wanted to get rid of all his goods and get new ones.

Damaged items: Employees of a gift shop laying out merchandise to dry in Kajang yesterday.

 

Magazines and books, which had been soaked by the floodwaters, were also being sold for a fraction of their original prices.

A three-hour downpour flooded the Klang Valley town on Friday night and brought the national capital to a traffic standstill.

Floodwaters gushed into the homes and shops in the township, stranding many people at shoppers' favourites like Plaza Metro and catching some off guard in their vehicles as strong currents swirled around them.

The manager of a jewellery store, Shanmugam Veerapan, 44, estimated losses of up to RM50,000.

Meanwhile, the manager of a restaurant here said most of the outlet's utensils had been swept away by floodwaters.

Kajang municipal councillor Lee Kee Hiong said the floods were the worst to hit the town since the major flood of 1971.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab said police received 18 reports on the loss of belongings and valuables.

He, however, added that no injuries were reported during the flood.