WILL the government’s massive beautification project in Brickfields kill off the infamous prostitution business that has been entrenched in this urban enclave for more than 50 years?
It will. Or at least, that’s what the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing ministry believes.
To questions posed by The Malay Mail on what can be done to stop the incessant vice industry in Brickfields, its minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin reiterated the Brickfields rejuvenation project will cause the death of the flesh trade in the area.
“Once the area is upgraded, it will discourage unhealthy activities.”
Raja Nong Chik told The Malay Mail this also requires the support of all stakeholders and everyone else involved or affected by the redevelopment project.
“The stakeholders in Brickfields must fully support the government’s efforts to upgrade the area,” said the minister, who also claimed several quarters were not fully supportive of what the government had in store for Brickfields.
“From our experience, there are many NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in Brickfields who have different views of how Brickfields should be developed,” said Raja Nong Chik.
His deputy, Datuk M. Saravanan, who had received a death threat letter for his vice-busting activities in the area, had also similarly said in December last year, rapid development in Brickfields would see a “natural death” for vice activities after the area’s final redevelopment phase this year.
The ministry, in reinvigorating Brickfields as a tourist attraction and branding it as KL’s “Little India”, is eager to rid the enclave of its vice-haven image.
Last March, the ministry and City Hall demolished eight vice dens in a joint operation against brothels.
However checks by The Malay Mail less than 48 hours after the operation found vice activities operating as usual.
The Malay Mail, in its front page story last Friday, had reported how Brickfields stubbornly remains a stronghold for immoral activities despite continuous and concerted efforts by the authorities.
A six-hour-long observation by our team from 6.30pm on Thursday showed the 'red light' area in Jalan Thambypillai to be very much alive and kicking.
We saw at least 10 vice dens operating along the shady street, mostly housed in two-storey shoplots.
Two brothels along Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4 were operating as well, even in broad daylight. People nonchalantly walked past the vice dens, as if they were used to it.
Brickfields police chief ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid told The Malay Mail police were doing all they could to battle vice activities in the area.
He said the police had raided these outlets and arrested many individuals numerous times, but the premises keep re-opening mere days after their operations.
He added the police could not shut down vice dens as that falls under the authority of City Hall.
Residents want authorities to intensify clean-up
LONG-time residents of Brickfields have their own views about how the area can be rid of its “red-light district” image.
A Brickfields old-timer who has lived there for 40 years is confident City Hall and the police can stop vice activities if they pushed hard enough.
“The police and City Hall must be more consistent with their vice-busting operations. If the raids are conducted only once in two or three months, they will not stop the business,” said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The resident also suggested the use of frequent roadblocks to control the movement of people on the roads where such businesses are set up.
“A lot of the customers of these businesses are foreign workers, mostly from nearby construction sites. Business is especially brisk during weekends and on public holidays when you can see them coming in droves.
“If there are frequent roadblocks and police patrols, with officers asking for identification, these ‘customers’ will surely avoid the area. With reduced demand, supply will naturally dwindle.”
Brickfields Business Council (BBC) secretary-general A. Karuppiah told The Malay Mail vice activities have been a natural part of Brickfields for as long as he can remember.
“I was born and bred in Brickfields. I went to school, set up a business, got married and raised a family all here. For all those years, prostitution has always been in Brickfields.
“I’ve seen the police and City Hall doing all they can to clamp down prostitution. They conduct raids and demolish vice dens. But no matter what they do, these businesses still bounce back.”
He remains pessimistic a permanent solution can ever be found, even if the two authorities put their heads together.
“There are schools and places of worship in Brickfields. This (prostitution) is not giving the area a good image.”
