MELAKA: The sizzling heat in the day is bringing happiness to some traders at Bandar Hilir here, but rain in the evenings is causing misery to others.
Jonker Walk management committee chairman Datuk Gan Tian Loo said sellers of cold drinks and coconut water enjoyed brisk business during hot days.
“Some of them told me that they were unable to cope with the demand from foreign customers.
“However, the setback is that it rains in the evening, which affects night markets,” he said.
Gan said his team was thinking of providing umbrellas and raincoats to tourists to enable them to walk around the night markets.
Souvenir seller Ikhwan Rahim, 28, said his sales had dropped by 60% due to the erratic weather.
He said the situation was further exacerbated by the weekend road closure in line with the car-free initiative at Bandar Hilir.
Another souvenir seller, Zainal Idrus, 60, echoed his sentiment.
“I could only sell one T-shirt in a week during this period, and that shows how sales have deteriorated due to the bad weather and road closure,” he said.
Trader Muhammad Amar Zulkifly, 22, said he is also facing hardship because of the bad weather and lack of tourists wanting to take a stroll at the heritage enclave of Bandar Hilir.
“We are badly affected by the limited foot traffic in the area,” he said.
