A COMPROMISE has been reached on the location of a Deepavali concert in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

This follows discussions initiated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

After consultations with concerned parties on Wednesday, Zaliha announced that an alternative venue had been identified, allowing the concert to proceed without affecting the area’s main thoroughfare.

Zaliha told StarMetro: “Yesterday, I instructed my special officer to meet all relevant stakeholders including traders, (bazaar and concert) organisers, representatives from the business community and DBKL officers to facilitate discussions.

Zaliha: Issue settled amicably.“We managed to settle the issue amicably.

“We appreciate feedback from the community and have worked to find a solution that balances the festive spirit of Deepavali with the practical needs of residents and businesses in the area.”

Initially set to take place on Jalan Tun Sambanthan near the Jalan Rozario junction, which would have required closing the road, the concert has now been moved further up towards the Little India stretch in front of the DBKL beat-base located just before Jalan Rakyat.

The original location drew objections from local community groups and Deepavali bazaar participants, who raised concerns over traffic congestion and noise pollution.

Brickfields Rukun Tetangga, Brickfields Business Community Society (BBCS) and Persatuan Prihatin Peniaga Kecil Little India (PPPLI) had expressed dissatisfaction over the concert’s location.

“We are relieved that the matter has been finally resolved and now we can all move forward to enjoy the festivities in peace,” said BBCS vice-president Datuk Alagarsamy Kumar.

“All this infighting is not good for business.

“We have agreed that the new location in front of the DBKL beat-base is more suitable.

“However, this will require closing two lanes, so we have requested the presence of DBKL and Rela to manage and direct traffic during the concert.

“We hope this incident will not happen again and that DBKL will consult with us before issuing licences for concerts in Brickfields.

“We already have an annual concert here and a second one is impractical, given the area’s traffic issues,” said Alagarsamy.

Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu also welcomed the concert relocation.

“We are grateful that the authorities have listened to our concerns.

Alagarsamy is asking for help with traffic management.

“Moving the concert to a different location nearby ensures residents can enjoy the festivities without dealing with road closures and excessive noise,” he said.

PPPLI secretary P. Thinakaran said congestion in the area had affected business in past years, with people avoiding the area entirely.

“People tend to avoid our bazaars altogether due to road closures, and this is not fair to the single mothers and elderly folks who rely on this once-a-year event to sustain their livelihoods,” he said.

PPPLI had previously said that DBKL’s decision to reduce the number of trading lots this year was unfair, attributing this to accommodation for the two concerts, which required closing parts of the main road for a stage setup.

DBKL received an application from a non-governmental organisation to organise Music and Arts Fiesta, featuring performances by Malaysian artistes, from Oct 28 to 30.

Additionally, the local authority said it was processing an application for another concert at the same location on different dates – a prospect that has not gone down well with Brickfields stakeholders who are already contending with congestion and loud music.

The event was initially set to take place along Jalan Tun Sambanthan, in front of Sentral Suites.

The Deepavali bazaar in Brickfields is being held in five locations until Oct 30, namely the pedestrian walkway in front of Tun Sambanthan Complex (10 lots), Jalan Travers/Jalan Rakyat (25 lots), Jalan Tun Sambanthan (20 lots), and Lorong Chan Ah Tong (eight lots).

This year, DBKL reduced the number of Deepavali bazaar lots across the city by 47%, offering only 95 lots compared to 179 last year.