A nearly 90-year-old woman who sells vegetables only four days a month was fined RM50 for operating without a licence at a market in Segamat, sparking public sympathy and praise after a passer-by stepped in to help.
The elderly woman was selling small quantities of vegetables she had grown herself at the Ayer Laba market when enforcement officers issued her the fine. She was reportedly not allowed to leave until the penalty was settled.
A witness who shared the incident on Facebook said he had tried to appeal to the officers for leniency, but they insisted on enforcing the rules.
Moments later, a member of the public quietly paid the RM50 fine on the woman’s behalf.
“The look of relief in her eyes made the whole market feel warmer,” the witness wrote, adding that a small act of kindness was enough to ease a heavy burden and restore dignity.
However, the woman was later informed that she would need to apply for a hawker’s licence costing several hundred ringgit to continue selling.
“For someone her age who sells only a few types of vegetables in small quantities, the fee is unrealistic and unaffordable,” the witness said, warning that she could lose her only source of income.
Segamat municipal councillor Datuk Zheng Guowei said he was informed of the case on the same day and arranged for the fine to be paid on her behalf.
“I have coordinated with the council’s enforcement unit, and she will not be fined again,” he said.
Zheng explained that the woman sells vegetables only once a week, earning very little, and cannot afford a full-year licence fee.
He added that he will raise the matter at the upcoming municipal council meeting to propose a symbolic licence fee for the elderly woman, and if approved, he will personally cover her annual licence cost.
