Examples of roadside hawkers who have been selling kuih as a means to support themselves during this pandemic.
(Source: Blogspot / Red Pastel C)

JEMPOL – Selling assorted kuih right after the Movement Control Order (MCO), which was implemented last year had helped a roadside hawker to survive during this pandemic.

In 2020, the world was shocked by a new disease that was first found in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province which was identified in November 2019, called COVID-19. Since the virus spread globally, resulting in the ongoing pandemic from 2019 until this day.

When the Federal Government of Malaysia found out that this virus is spreading in Malaysia, they have decided to implement MCO as a preventive measure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country starting March 18, 2020.

Apizan Abu Bakar, 47, alongside her daughter Nur Arwina Ashyiqa Yusof, 20, started selling assorted kuih near their house in order to help the family survive this pandemic. This happened after her husband was retrenched from one of his jobs due to the pandemic.

In the beginning, baking kuih was just her hobby. She used to invite her neighbors for tea and would do all the baking on her own.

“My neighbors really enjoyed the kuih that I baked for them and sometimes I asked them what kuih they wanted to eat for the next evening tea.

“My neighbors also said that I should try to sell the kuih that I made because they are very delicious but I do not have the confidence yet to sell my kuih in my housing area,” said the mother of four who was recently contacted by Berita DIMENSi via Whatsapp.

In the early days of her business, she started taking orders through WhatsApp. Afterwards, Apizan and her daughter would bake the kuih together before sending them to the customers’ houses as the authority did not allow them to open stalls during the early phase of MCO.

Examples of assorted kuih that Apizan sells at her stall near her housing area.

(Source: Resepi Kuih Muih Bonda)

When the authority granted permission for the stall to be opened, she decided to open one near her house and received lots of positive feedback from the people in the neighborhood.

She also gains some regular customers who always look up for assorted kuih that she bakes every single day.

“Although sometimes I feel like I want to give up, I will think about my family and somehow only looking at their faces can boost my energy to sell kuih every day.

“Now I am starting to take orders for a variety of occasions or events during the weekend in order to gain some extra money,” said Apizan.

She reminded those affected by this pandemic not to give up because there are lots of ways to earn money in order to survive.

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