Hot weather a welcome blessing for business

Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE and C. ARUNO

WHILE the current hot weather has many cowering for shade, an ikan bilis trader in Kemaman, Terengganu, has instead found the heat to be a blessing for her business, reported Kosmo!.

Zuria Zulkifli, 35, said the daily intense heat has made it easier for her 50-year-old family-run business to dry the anchovies.

She said the intense heat actually improved their daily output and product quality.

“We normally can only process up to 40kg a day in normal weather but now, we can easily produce up to 100kg per day as they dry very fast, within around six hours.

“The anchovies are also better quality as they end up with a firmer texture, not having any musty smell and becomes even crispier when fried,” she said.

Zuria, who runs the business with her husband Wan Mohd Zuraydy Wan Nordin, 40, said in normal weather conditions, anchovies would take between two to three days to fully dry.

Wan Mohd Zuraydy, who is a fisherman, said the hot weather had come at a perfect time as the anchovy fishing season has just begun.

“It will last until September which has made it easier for me to catch up to 100kg a day.

“Combined with the faster drying process, we can process up to two batches of anchovies per day as my morning catch will have dried by afternoon,” he said.

> Drink stall operators in Kuala Lumpur have also seen booming business due to the hot weather, reported Harian Metro.

Mohd Fadzil Ismail, 55, said the present month has been one of the most successful for traders like him.

“Thanks to the hot weather, my drinks sell out very fast at almost double the rate compared to normal days.

“I usually sell four to five jars of drinks on normal days but now, I can sell up to eight to nine jars,” he said.

Another trader Juraimi Ngadul, 60, said his profits this year have seen a sharp increase.

“Usually, customers would buy one or two cups but now, some will buy up to four cups due to the hot weather,” he said.

> Popular local songwriter and singer Ajai has called on local aspirants to find a balance between talent and public image to become successful, reported Utusan Malaysia.

The 48-year-old industry veteran, who is also a judge on the fifth season of the popular local reality singing competition show Big Stage, said this was essential to stand out in the current highly competitive entertainment industry.

“Even with a good voice, singers must be mindful of their image and be more open to adapt to changes in the industry in order to sell themselves to their fans better,” he said.

He said even after they become famous, continuing to develop their singing talent was also key to ensuring the overall standard of the industry.

“Let popularity go hand in hand with your talent. If not, wouldn’t it feel like you’re cheating your fans?” he said.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.