YONG PENG: Traders at the Yong Peng public market will receive RM1,000 in immediate financial assistance following a fire that broke at the market early Thursday (March 31) morning.

       Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the fire broke out at the market at about 2.30am on Thursday.

       “Initial investigations showed that the fire damaged 70% of the market building at Jalan Templer here," Dr Wee said in a Facebook post Thursday.

       He said he had instructed Yong Peng assemblyman Ling Tian Soon to give the RM1,000 each to the 17 traders affected by the incident.

       The Transport Minister said he was grateful that there were no casualties in the incident, adding that he was now at the opening of the Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal in Desaru by Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

       The MCA president said he and Ling, who is also the state Health and Unity Committee chairman, would discuss rebuilding and repairing the market, which was about 70% razed in the fire, with Yong Peng District Council.