FROM traditional and contemporary clothes, perfumes, watches and shoes to festive delicacies – you name it, Uptown Bandar Perda’s Aidilfitri bazaar has it.
More than 260 traders are now operating at the bazaar in Bukit Mertajam, which is touted as one of the biggest in Penang.
After breaking fast, visitors can head over to shop for irresistible deals and attractive bargains.
Civil servant Nor Haizad Ramli, 41, did not mind the distance as long as he could find almost everything under one roof.
He went to the bazaar all the way from his home in Bayan Lepas on Penang island, with his wife and three children.
“For me, this is the place that offers the most convenient shopping. Besides the usual festive outfits for my family, we can get other things.
“There is a wide range of accessories and handbags here,” he said, adding that the goods at the bazaar were affordable. “Usually we will come here a few times, first to survey the items and prices.
“We will only buy towards the end of Ramadan when vendors offer attractive discounts on their goods,” said Nor Haizad.
Soldier Md Shukor Md Soleh, 34, said the bazaar offered a wide selection of affordable festive items.
As a father of five, he believed this bazaar was the ideal place to shop.
“We will buka puasa nearby before coming over here.
“We will always make a few trips here as there is always something for us to buy whenever we visit,” he added.
Popular hangout
Since 2006, the Aidilfitri bazaar has been a crowd-puller due to its vast variety of products, except for 2020 and 2021 when the country was under the movement control order due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, business was slow as many people were still afraid to come out for fear of the coronavirus infection.
Bandar Perda Village Community Management Council (MPKK) chairman Megat Mohd Khairul Nizam Megat Jaafar said he was certain that business would peak in the last two weeks of Ramadan.
“Response has been good so far, except on days when it rained.
“This bazaar attracts not only the locals but also those from other districts and even Penang island,” he said.
Megat advised the traders to conduct their business honestly and not to raise prices indiscriminately.
He also encouraged traders and visitors to wear face masks as Covid-19 was still around.
Perfume seller Mohd Izat Mohd Basir, 50, who is among the pioneers to set up business at the bazaar, is eager to make up for lost time this Ramadan.
“For two years, there was hardly any business due to movement restrictions.
“Although we were allowed to operate last year, business was not good as many people were still afraid of being infected,” he said.
He is hoping for better income this time around.
“This bazaar can draw crowds. It is located near two institutions of higher learning.
“With 260 traders at the bazaar, options for Raya items are aplenty,” he said.
Watch seller Salim Ismail, 35, said business would usually pick up near the end of the fasting month.
“The festive mood is not here yet.
“The public will only start swarming this place towards the end of Ramadan,” said Salim.
Yusuf Awang, 45, who sold traditional and modern baju melayu and baju kurung, anticipated slow sales this year due to the economic situation and higher cost of living.
He is expecting to make brisk last-minute sales only on the last two days of Ramadan.
“The same trend has been happening all the time, year in and year out. People just enjoy last-minute shopping,” he noted.
The bazaar is open from 6pm to midnight daily during Ramadan.
Diverse crowd
One of the biggest Ramadan bazaars in George Town is located in Prangin Mall, next to Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong.
Featuring an array of food from 80 stalls, the bazaar has drawn both locals and tourists.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the bazaar had helped many hawkers whose livelihood were affected during the pandemic.
“It provides a positive spirit and opportunity for them to recover their losses.
“The bazaar attracts not only Muslims but non-Muslims as well,” he said at the bazaar’s launch.
Prangin Mall JMB committee chairman Datuk H’ng Ban Choon said the bazaar was set up at a strategic location to provide more convenience for those breaking fast.
“This is the second time the bazaar is being organised, following its success last year,” he said.
“We are encouraging vendors to sell Menu Rahmah items capped at RM5 to help those burdened by the rising living costs.”
Also present was Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng.
Chow and other guests also distributed bubur lambuk to visitors at the bazaar before handing out aprons to the hawkers.
The bazaar is open from 3pm to 9pm daily until April 21.
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