Rents have doubled, ingredient costs keep climbing, yet for the stallholders at Malaysia’s bazaars, no other month comes close
By late afternoon in Putrajaya, the smell of smoke fills the air. Charcoal pits glow along the side of the road as office workers and families with school-aged children in tow move through the haze with the deliberate purpose of people who have not eaten since dawn.
This is a Ramadan bazaar in full bloom: rows of bright pink drinks in plastic cups, towers ofkueh– bite-sized sweet and savoury snacks – in every colour, and, at one particularly busy stall, rows of whole chickens turning slowly over an open flame.
Nur Afifi has no time for small talk. Hisayam golek(rotisserie chicken) operation is running at full tilt and he is watching the birds like a man who knows exactly how much each one is worth.
“I run a school canteen at a religious school, so during Ramadan the canteen closes,” said the 36-year-old, his eyes still on the grill. “That’s why I opened anayam golekstall here instead.”
Each chicken sells for 25 ringgit (HK$50). On a typical day, he moves roughly 150 of them. Over 30 days, that translates to more than 100,000 ringgit (HK$198,000) in gross sales. One month. One product. Enough money to sustain him for the rest of the year.
“People say it is only one month,” he said. “But that one month can cover us for the whole year.”
Source: News - South China Morning Post
