Should We Support Roadside Sellers Kindness Meets Chaos

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AT times, our hearts may be moved to purchase items from the sellers who stood by the road.
Looking at them braving the rain and sunshine, we who are more well off are urged into the spirit of charity. But is this the right thing to do?
Perhaps there is a time and place to sell because who knows, it may cause accidents especially if the road is experiencing heavy traffic. 
A recent viral video best highlights this topic, where a motorcyclist could be seen colliding with a fruit seller who was engaging customers in the middle of the road.
Sebab tu la kerajaan haramkan peniagaan kt lalu lintas ni. Bila kerajaan buat macam tu, nerakazen kata tutup periuk nasik.
Engkorang tahu tak kebersihan buah yg kau makan tu macam mana? pic.twitter.com/uj7TQbBxqd
— Abang Panda  (@zulazri03) May 27, 2025

Netizen @zulazri03 who brought the video to light said this was why the government made it illegal to do business on the road.
“When the government does it, the people say they are trying to close the rice pot of others,” he added.
Another netizen said things like these should not be normalised, that it was not about closing up the rice pot of some other people.
“They will sell asam boi in the start, then later it will be moist cakes and crackers. Sooner or later our country will be like India,” said @citymeoww.

However, @barak2223 who watched the video said it was the fault of the motorcyclist, since he rode it at a high speed through the side of the cars. Towards this comment, one netizen replied that it was the motorcyclist’s lane.
Also, @am_syarnoor warned that there were certain mango sellers at Petaling Jaya who operated under a Myanmmar syndicate.

“Most of these sellers are migrants anyway. There is no such thing as closing the rice pot of Malaysians. The immigration is quiet even though it is right in front of their eyes,” lamented @HilmiHimself.
@ikwnnn further claimed that these people were syndicate members, for they came together in a car. Apparently he witnessed this sometime back, being a supervisor in a shop.

Perhaps @azimmaksum nailed the problem right in the head, stating that the situation was a simple one. When people stop buying from these roadside sellers, they will cease to exist. —  Focus Malaysia

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