JOHOR BARU: Shoppers in Johor are no longer lingering to browse market stalls, opting instead for quick dash-and-go trips, say traders.
Prolonged transboundary haze continues to keep crowds indoors and cut into stallholders’ earnings.
South Johor Petty and Mobile Traders Association chairman Datuk Yow Boon Choon said the haze has altered consumer behaviour.
“These days, people visit morning and night markets only to buy what they need, instead of leisurely browsing the stalls as they used to. This is especially true of senior citizens and those with young children.
“About 1,000 traders under the association have been affected by the thinning crowds, which is beyond our control,” he said.
Yow said traders could not afford to suspend business, even temporarily, as their livelihoods depended on the markets.
He also expressed concern that the prolonged haze could affect the association’s upcoming annual Johor Jaya Chinese New Year carnival, which is being planned as a one-stop destination for festive shopping.
The much-anticipated event usually attracts traders, local and international shoppers and tourists, but continued poor air quality could affect participation and attendance, he said.
Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said cloud-seeding operations were carried out at two locations on Tuesday to induce rainfall and help reduce haze particle concentrations.
“The operations targeted areas between Yong Peng and Machap, as well as Mersing and Kota Tinggi.
“The mission involved a Royal Malaysian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft that departed from Subang Air Base in Selangor, carrying eight tonnes of sodium chloride, or salt, for cloud seeding,” he said.
