VENTURE

CONCERNS OF REOPENING RAMADAN BAZAAR

Monday, 2 May 2022
By Ilyanie Hisham

BUKIT MERTAJAM - The reopening of the Ramadan bazaar after two years of being unable to operate genuinely provides an opportunity for food vendors to raise their income, particularly during Eid al-Fitr, which occurs on May 3, this year.

Fatimah Mustapha, 60, a nasi kerabu vendor, said the news that the Ramadan bazaar had been agreed upon was very exciting for them since there was none last year, and the vendor's economic lives were quite difficult.

"If the Ramadan bazaar operates on a particular day, I can cover my expenses because I could earn roughly around RM200 to RM300 if I sell in the bazaar,” she said when contacted by Berita Dimensi via phone call.

Many people were excited when it was announced that there would be no restrictions in early February, including those looking to buy food to break their fast and vendors hoping to boost their profits.

Bazar Ramadhan in Bandar Perda, Pulau Pinang was found crowded with customers through observation by Berita Dimensi.

(Source: Berita DIMENSi/Ilyanie Hisyam)

An observation done around 4 p.m. at the Bandar Perda Ramadan Bazaar, was crowded with people who had returned to the bazaar after it had been closed for two years.

Vendors Worries Post-COVID

Since Fatimah has a large family, she can purchase Eid garments with the money she earns from her business and she believes that a lot of people are jobless right now so by operating the bazaar, as usual, the vendors may have enough money to pay for their expenses.

Following the existence of COVID-19, Fatimah will usually do it on a lesser amount, so her business preparation will be half of what it used to be and will help to minimize losses indirectly.

To make things easier for the public, she added that she also offers home delivery services via e-hailing.

E-hailing delivery is incredibly convenient for both merchants and customers. According to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia (MOT), it is a service for booking public transportation via electronic applications.

Fatimah, on the other hand, estimates that there will be fewer customers at the bazaar than how it usually was in the past, so she began purchasing raw materials at a reasonable price so that they can sell within a specified regulated price range.

Bazaar Prices Complaint

Penang KPDNHEP's Ridzuan Ab Ghaffar monitored the recent issue in Ramadan bazaar.

(Source: The Vibes)

The latest widely argued bazaar issue is the price of the food has risen drastically, which is undesirable to the community especially when the price charged is not comparable with the quality or quantity.

According to Astro Awani, an inspection conducted as part of Operation Pantau 2022 found that many vendors followed the rules, including those governing the use of price tags, explained to Penang KPDNHEP's Ridzuan Ab Ghaffar.

"So far, no complaints have been lodged about the increase in food and beverage prices at the Penang Ramadhan Bazaar," says Ridzuan.

One of the buyers, Annur Fatihah, 24, said that the selling price did not rise much as she can get a meal for around three Malaysian Ringgit only and it was appropriate in terms of quality and quantity.

“It is a fact that I always go to the bazaar to get food for breaking fast and at the same time for sahur too because the price is very affordable,” Annur continued.

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