In the past, visitors who frequented TSG were greeted by aromatic notes of cinnamon and masala chai, alongside the lively chirps of birds and energetic chatter of dusky leaf monkeys.
Now, however, this sanctuary of nature’s glory faces grave danger of shutting down due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“If funds don’t come in, we have to close today,” said the distressed co-owner of TSG, Katharine Joan Chua, 42, when contacted by FMT.
“We didn’t know if we should ask our staff to come to work in August, as we didn’t even know if we could pay them,” Chua mourned, adding that they’ve since been forced to pay their loyal staff less than the minimum wage for the past few months.
With two young children, a whole garden and seven staff to care for, Chua and her co-owner husband , Kenneth Khoo, 54 are running on empty and thus, may be forced to shut TSG permanently.
“It’s quite a desperate situation as there’s not much money left,” sighed Chua.
“We don’t have limitless pockets. Some of the overhead expenses are already long due since January, but we can’t foot them as our pockets have run dry.”
In a desperate plight to save Penang’s beloved gardens, Chua and Khoo sent out a heart-tugging video on August 1 addressing TSG’s dire state to the public.
Since opening in November 2003, TSG has been visited by some 7,000 nature lovers each month. Sadly, movement control orders have turned it into a ghost town.
At present, TSG struggles to make ends meet and as Chua mentions in the video, they’ve been relying on their RM25 monthly Spice Fam memberships to stay afloat.
Thankfully, a few locals have responded since the video came out and have signed up to become Spice Fam members.
“Since the pandemic began, we’ve done a lot of soul searching with regards to what is important for TSG’s future,” said Chua on how they came up with their “reset vision”,
This new direction resulted in the launch of the ‘Hati dan Bumi’ campaign in May 2020, an initiative that has struck all the right chords with many.
“Pre-Covid, it was all about increasing annual visitors, whereas now, our vision comes from a more personal place. We are now focused on the community and our passion which is to reconnect with mother nature,” Chua said with a smile.
This newfound vision climaxed in the second half of 2020, as Spice Fam members gathered underneath TSG’s shaded trees and participated in all kinds of soul-cleansing activities.
These included contemporary dance classes, community bazaars, gardening, yoga, cooking sessions and even seed exchanges, all of which are opportunities for members to get in touch with nature and enjoy the little things in life.
Due to current restrictions, the Spice Fam reaches out to its growing members through virtual classes for cooking, yoga, dance and even arts and craft.
Chua hopes that once TSG opens again and travel restrictions are lifted, familiar faces will flock back to the paradise to enjoy natures company.
“Although we ran a profitable business before the pandemic, the business we now want to run is a lot more fulfilling, even though it’s less profitable,” Chua said.
“The vision is great and there’s a lot of hope, but we just need to tide over now until we can open again.”
Although they’re faced with the possibility of permanent closure, Chua and Khoo are still hopeful that TSG’s gates can remain open. To them, this renewed sense of serving both nature and the community can only take flight with a little help from nature’s other helpful hands – the generous public.
To help save Tropical Spice Garden from permanent closure, you can send donations or subscribe monthly to become a Spice Fam member here or support their online store.