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Sundry shop owners fed up with thefts
Some say the third time’s a charm, but not for Rosie Jerome, a sundry shop owner in Tamparuli.
In fact, the 55-year-old has had it with thieves stealing her supplies for the third time this year.
“Things would have been better if we had keys to the storeroom to keep our supplies. I lost about RM300 in the break-in last night. It is a small amount, but for small-time businesswomen like me, it’s huge.
“How much more do we have to lose to get the authorities’ attention,” Jerome asked.
She and her husband, Adrian Chee, 62, had been operating the sundry shop in Tamparuli town, some 50km from here.
The couple made the discovery when they opened the shop this morning, having taken the weekend off.
“We have been renting the premises from the Tuaran District Council (TDC) since a decade ago.
“Two years ago, the TDC did some renovations and did not provide us with the keys to the storeroom, forcing us to keep our supplies at the corner of the shop.
“The intruders had forced open the main door before breaking into our shop. They stole just junk food this time, but we cannot just sit and wait until it becomes worse.”
Jerome believed that poor lighting in the premises had contributed to the situation. She urged authorities to act fast.
There are at least 15 operators renting outlets from the TDC and they are also urging the local authority to hand keys to their respective storerooms to prevent thefts.
