According to The Star Online, despite an order for them to move in by Monday, none of the pork sellers at the old market did so.

They claimed that there was no water or electricity connected to the new market amid talk that they might be evicted from their present site.

Labuan Corporation chairman Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman said the water and electricity matter had been resolved and there was no other option for the pork sellers except to move into the new premises that was built on their request.

“We don’t want the new pork market to be turned into a white elephant,” said Suhaili in explaining that it was unfair for any group to complain about moving to the new market that was built within a year.

He said the new pork market came about because many of the pork sellers had complained that the old market was too small and congested.

“They wanted us to allow them to sell vegetables and fish at the market and we have agreed to this. We believe that they could turn the place into an economically vibrant area and probably turn it into a mini Chinatown,” he added.

Suhaili said no one objected to the market project earlier but now that it has been completed the traders were making all sorts of excuses.

He said the new market sits on a 1ha site and there was a lot of leftover land.

Suhaili also said that he would ask the Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce to give some feedback on how to utilise the unused space.