NEW NORMAL RAMADAN BAZAAR READY TO ROLL
Authorities urge bazaar participants and visitors to be responsible
WITH the fasting month set to begin, preparations for Ramadan bazaars here have started in earnest. The annual food stalls, which offer mouth-watering delicacies for iftar (breaking of fast), were missed by many last year as bazaars were not allowed to operate during the Movement Control Order due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, the bazaars will be allowed to operate under strict conditions.
Here, 65 bazaars have been allowed to operate starting from tomorrow.
City Hall yesterday said in a statement there would be strict standard operating procedures (SOP) for visitors, including wearing a face mask, registering on MySejahtera before entry, physical distancing and screening of temperature.
Traders are allowed to open between 3pm and 8pm.
“Sixty-three of the 65 bazaars will be placed under the supervision of bazaar organisers or associations acting as the organiser, while two others will be under the supervision of City Hall,” said the statement.
It said two bazaars under City Hall supervision were at the Taman Tasik Permaisuri car park (near Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium) and Jalan 4/38A, Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut (Wisma Suhati).
Bazaar Aidilfitri 2021, which was cancelled last year, would also be allowed to operate in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR).
“A total of 208 traders are expected to participate in this year ’s Bazaar Aidilfitri, which will start on April 17 from the back of Campbell Complex, right up to the intersection near Masjid India, along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Bazaar Aidilfitri, which is fully regulated by City Hall, would operate from 10am to midnight daily until the eve of Hari Raya.
City Hall said the authorities would erect a fence along the bazaar stretch to facilitate visitor registration and control crowd movement from the entrance to the exit.
City Hall reminded bazaar participants and visitors that while they had been given permission to operate despite the Covid-19 pandemic, they must be responsible.
“Violations of the SOP will be compounded up to a maximum of RM10,000 against the individual and RM50,000 against the organiser, besides facing immediate closure,” it said.
In Kuantan, Pahang, the stage is set for the bazaars to operate with strict SOP compliance.
Traders who failed to comply with the SOP would not be given a second chance.
Instead, they would see their business licence immediately revoked by the local authorities.
State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Rahim Muda said additional SOP had been introduced, including setting plastic barriers between the stalls and limited movement (individuals) among the stalls.
“Traders and customers must give their full cooperation and abide by the SOP,” he said.
Kuantan City Council public relations officer Norkamawati Kamal said the bazaars would be in 30 locations.
“The canopies for the bazaars and plastic barriers have been set up.”
In Ipoh, Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Bahari said 1,065 lots would be set up at 25 bazaars.
He said the Ipoh City Council (MBI) would introduce cashless payments in collaboration with Maybank at almost all bazaars under its supervision this year.
“Traders and visitors are highly encouraged to use the e-wallet application.
“Surveillance and control of bazaars are conducted by officers from the Public Health and Council Services Division, as well as the MBI Licensing and Enforcement Division,” he said.
To ensure physical distancing, each business lot would be placed 3m apart from one another, while the wearing of face masks by traders would be compulsory.
Other arrangements included temperature screening, hand sanitisation and officers deployed to monitor the bazaar entrance.
The Perak Islamic Religious Council was also allowing bazaars to be set up in mosques.
Its director, Datuk Mohd Yusop Husin, said traders, however, must get approval from the local authorities first.
“This year, we encourage the mosque to organise a bazaar during this fasting month as an activity and economic resource for mosques during this pandemic.
“Most mosques have a large area, so mosque committee members can decide which areas and how many lots that can set up,” he said.