KUALA LUMPUR: Traders along Jalan Masjid India want the authorities to closely monitor the area, following a sinkhole that appeared yesterday.
Mahathir Mohammed, 45, raised safety concerns, saying that there was inadequate monitoring of land movement in the area.
He said the area had been receiving a lot of rain, which caused the ground to sink as water accumulated underground.
"After some time, it will sink further, and you can see that the bricks are uneven.
"We haven't reported this to the authorities because they come daily to inspect (traffic flow and car parking).
"(It is) their job to monitor, not ours. Actually, they only came to issue summonses. For example, they come to check the cars parked here and issue tickets," he said.
Meanwhile, he said, he had yet to receive any instructions from the authorities, including City Hall or the police, regarding whether he could continue operating and would adhere to any directives given.
"We are not sure if the police will order us to close (the shop), but if they do, we will comply, as we did yesterday, when they came around 4pm.
"There hasn't been any formal notice from the authorities including the police, Fire and Rescue Department or City Hall.
"If they issued a notice asking us to close, we will follow the instructions," he said.
He said the money changer shop depended on foreign customers, especially on weekends.
"We still have to pay rent, so we rely on regular customers and cater to tourists.
"We need to stay open to serve them (the customers), and if we close for two or three days, the rent still has to be paid."
He said some customers came by his shop this morning.
Blogger Syed Akbar Ali who used to own a business in Masjid India said the area had a history of sinkholes.
"My shop used to be located on the ground floor of Malaya Mansion and opposite the shop was a T-junction.
"There was a pipe under this junction that would leak at least once a year and the road would sink.
"It was common, as the authorities would repair and patch up the road, and it would keep happening until they replaced the pipe, (which involves) a major overhaul," he said.
Syed said the problem had since stopped.
"Almost every sinkhole is caused by water movement.
"I hope the authorities can find the source of the problem so that it doesn't happen again," he said.
The sinkhole, which appeared yesterday, caused an Indian national in her 40s to fall into the pit.
Rescuers here could only find a pair of slippers belonging to her near the location after almost 17 hours of searching yesterday.
City police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said he was informed of a strong water current underneath the street and that the victim was likely swept away.
Rusdi said a similar sinkhole appeared last year at the same location.
However, no one was injured and the sinkhole was fixed.