The Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman Traders and Hawkers Association was quoted as saying that the traders there suffered an estimated RM500,000 in lost business, or an average of RM500 per trader.

City officials ordered shops in the vicinity of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (or Batu Road) to close because of the rally, the group said, according to Berita Harian’s Sunday edition.

However, in Petaling Street, some traders were quoted by the Sunday Star as saying that business rose by as much as 50 percent. Most shops were closed on the advice of the trade association. Those that stayed open enjoyed good business.

“It happens every year now, so we are not afraid of it any more,” an unnamed trader was quoted as saying.

Tens of thousands of people took part in the largely trouble-free rallies organised by the Bersih electoral reform group and the rival pro-establishment Red Shirts movement.

Traders’ groups have frequently protested about political demonstrations. Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, which leads to Dataran Merdeka, has been a popular route for protest marches.

On Friday, three trade groups failed when they tried to obtain a late court injunction to stop the Bersih 5 rally. The court also held that the traders had failed to demonstrate that past rallies had caused damage.