With the standard operating procedures and physical distancing in mind, traders are also resorting to online sales to keep their customers happy.
FMT’s visits to bazaars in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak saw various stalls with banners advertising their social media accounts and asking customers to contact them on WhatsApp, suggesting that many had turned to e-commerce.
However, Mohd Yasin, a trader who sells traditional kuih at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) bazaar in Kuala Lumpur said he still preferred setting up a physical stall despite the risks of the virus.
He told FMT he was grateful that bazaars were allowed to open this year, adding that it would let him earn some extra cash.
“Last year, I didn’t make any profit because I was only selling online. Not many people knew about it. When I set up a physical stall, more people are aware and they come to buy my kuih,” he said.
Wan Jamila, who sells nasi kerabu at the bazaar in Seksyen 17, Petaling Jaya said she stayed home last Ramadan, given the ban on bazaars and movement control order regulations.
Unlike most traders, Jamila did not try her hand at online business and decided to take a break from her nasi kerabu business.
“I’m old, I’m not tech-savvy. For me, it’s too complicated to sell online,” quipped the 65-year-old.
While there were few customers on her first day at the bazaar, Jamila said she would continue to set up her stall and “see how it goes”.
Another trader, Siti Sherfeeka said she had also attempted to go online last year, but sales were slow.
The murtabak seller said she was now hoping for the best, adding that her fellow traders there had not seen each other throughout the multiple lockdowns.
“It’s great to see and catch up with all my friends behind the stalls. We’re all one gang here,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Kuching, Sarawak, traders have had to forgo another year of Ramadan bazaars following the recent surge of Covid-19 cases in the state.
Nur Hasyah Mohamad Hassan recalled having to rent a stall at a coffee shop in previous years to sell her famous kuih akok, a recipe she learnt from her mother-in-law in Kelantan.
“I localised the taste by using ‘gula melaka’, which is less sweet than white sugar. It also makes the kuih tastier and more flavourful,” she told FMT.
This time round, she decided to set up a smaller stall just in front of her house on Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol to serve walk-in customers and operate as a drive-thru.
The trader told FMT she had prepared over 500 pieces of kuih for her loyal customers to break their fast.
“Most of them pre-ordered online a day before, to avoid long queues,” she said.