KUALA LUMPUR: There was a time when Hari Raya shopping and putting the final touch on a festive outfit meant manoeuvring through the crowds at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here late at night.
Back then, it was essential to buy the buttons for the baju Melayu.
Today, the nights feel different and the crowds seem thinner.
And the small trays of colourful buttons often sit untouched.
What was once a symbol of the festive excitement is slowly fading away.
“It used to be that selling baju Melayu buttons could help us make money,” said songkok trader Yurnalis Tamizi, 61.
“Now, people don’t even ask for them,” he said when met at his stall yesterday.
He attributed this to the modern baju Melayu designs, which come complete with buttons.
This trend, he said, had gradually replaced the need for the loose buttons he used to sell.
A few stalls away, brooch trader Zabidah Razali, 63, has already accepted the painful reality.
She chose not to restock baju Melayu buttons at all this year.
“Not a single customer has asked for them in the past two weeks. I’m trying to clear my old stock for RM5 a set.”
Last year, Zabidah could earn up to RM7,000 a day from brooch sales.
This year, she is bracing herself for less. Still, she continues to work almost 12 hours a day until the eve of Syawal.
“Raya season is tiring, but staying at home feels worse. I’ve been here for more than 30 years. If I don’t come here, it feels like something is missing,” she added.
For younger traders, business survival depends on a phone and an Internet connection.
Capal seller Nur Shazmeen Dayana Shamsuddin, 22, said she goes live on TikTok every night after the breaking of fast.
“If I don’t go live, people won’t know where my stall is. That’s the reality now,” she said.
During her live sessions, she explains the sizes, colours and types of traditional sandals she sells, hoping viewers will find their way to her small space along the busy street.
“It’s my first year trading here, so I’m excited. But I am anxious, too.
“I hope people will remember my shop, so that next year, I won’t be forgotten,” she said.
