Nor Erwan (centre) with his staff showing some of the dishes at his restaurant in Sungai Bakap. — Photos: ZHAFARAN NASIB and CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
THE Sungai Bakap by-election has brought plenty of hustle and bustle into this town in Nibong Tebal, Penang, with Cabinet ministers, party leaders, workers and volunteers pouring into the area to support the campaigning period.
As a result, the local economy has been flourishing over the past few weeks especially for hotels and eateries.
This is also the period for small-time food traders to cash in by setting up stalls wherever there are political events, capitalising on increased foot traffic and activity.
Interestingly, some traders only appear during the election period, and follow campaign trails as if on a travelling tour.
On campaign trails
One of them is Noor Hidayu Mohd Noor, whose family has been operating a bee hoon soup stall at election sites for 30 years.
Bee hoon soup seller Noor Hidayu serving customers during a ceramah in conjunction with the Sungai Bakap by-election in Nibong Tebal.
“We do this during the elections. It is like a fun family outing while earning extra money.
“We travel to any place where there is an election campaign to sell bee hoon soup, which is a family recipe.
“We also check with locals for a better understanding of the areas and where the crowds will be and head to areas where the night ceramah is held,” said the 34-year-old.
Noor Hidayu, who is from Sungai Petani, Kedah, said the family travelled to Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor and set up shop during the by-election in May.
Various political party merchandise being sold in the run up to the by-election.
However, profits were not big because the distance resulted in higher costs.
“The by-election in Sungai Bakap is ideal because it is just a short drive from home. We can commute daily,” she said.
Rashidi says there has been a noticeable increase in customers over the past few weeks.Noor Hidayu also said that compared to previous years, the size of the crowd attending the ceramah was smaller.
Muhammad Fiezhar Hakiemi Asidan, 20, was seen manning his stall selling snacks, roasted nuts, skewered fried delights and soup noodles.
“We tried this out during last year’s Penang state elections, and realised we can make more money at the ceramah,” he said.
“We pick a candidate to follow from nomination day until the last day of campaigning.”
He said the crowd would swell closer to the election date as more people came out to eat.
He added that his family ran a stall in Alor Setar, Kedah selling the same food but they did not make as much compared to profits earned during the campaigning period.
“We also set up tables and chairs for people to dine at our stall before going for the ceramah,” he said.
“Some even pack food before heading home.
“We check the candidate’s schedule and set up stall around 5pm as near as possible to where the ceramah is being held.
“Others set up drink stalls to complement our food.”
Muhammad Fiezhar said he and his family commuted between Sungai Bakap and Alor Setar in the first few days of campaigning.
Now, they have chosen to rent a room in Sungai Bakap because they are too tired once the stall closes for the night.
“Business is good and we want to stay fresh for the next day as we cook on site and it can get busy,” he said.
Dr Joohari greeting a trader at Sungai Bakap night market in Taman Pekatra Indah.
“By-elections and political events help small businesses like mine as we depend on customers for our daily income.”
Those selling party merchandise are also seeing good business.
Johor-born Zaidi Ishak, 49, sets up a stall at every Pakatan Harapan ceramah.
The lively ceramah sessions or political rallies are proving to be a crowd puller for traders.
Having travelled all the way from home, Zaidi offers more than 20 types of merchandise, ranging from vests, jackets and caps to T-shirts and pins.
“I have been here since nomination day and will stick around until the end,” he said.
Sharifah is happy that her dishes including nasi lemak sell out fast so she can head home early.“This time, the response has been great with the party vests being a hit.
“During the day, I operate out of the Pakatan command centre and follow the candidate’s schedule before setting up a stall at the Unity talks.”
Zaidi said he had been in the business of making party merchandise since 1999.
“When there are no elections, I make football jerseys,” he said.
“For parties and their machinery, I usually change it up, making different prints and designs for each election.
“Sometimes I offer a few versions at the same election as people collect them for keepsakes.”
Zaidi said it was important to sell party merchandise as they were not sold at shops.
“It is not easily available so I make sure I show up during the campaigning period,” he said.
“I make merchandise for six political parties and ensure the material is good so that they last.
“Many make purchases for their collection. After this, I will be heading to the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.”
Thriving local economy
Coffeeshop operators and roadside traders have also experienced a surge in patronage, as political teams gather, over meals and refreshments, to strategise.
Fruit trader Rashidi Zainol, 31, who sells durian and other fruits by the roadside in Sungai Bakap old town, said he had seen a noticeable increase in customers over the past weeks.
Artist, pls take note - if using this photo, don't use the mugshot belowSharifah (right) is happy that her dishes including nasi lemak sell out fast so she can head home early.
“Many of them are not locals and are from other state. I am not sure where they are from but I believe they are here for the by-election,” he said.
Rashidi, who has been in the business for 10 years, said his business had improved by 20% since nomination day.
Nasi lemak seller Sharifah Abdul Rashid, 52, said business had been thriving as she could finish selling her dishes early.
“Normally, I close my stall in the afternoon. But for the past week, I went home as early as 10am,” she said.
Sharifah, who has been operating in Kampung Permatang Ara, said many of her customers were party workers, some who had come from as far as Johor.
She said she received a few requests from party workers to supply nasi lemak and kuih to the main operations room or polling district stations.
“I prepare more than usual, because I get many orders, sometimes 20 to 30 packs of nasi lemak with kuih,” she said.
Hawker Syatila Wan Chik, 35, said her profit started doubling even before nomination day.
“When we heard that Sungai Bakap was having a by-election, we knew that it was going to be busy for us.
“Over the past three weeks, my staff and I have been working extra shifts to cope with the demand,” she said.
Besides party workers, journalists from other states have also been dining at her stall.
To take advantage of the situation, she also ran her stall over the weekend, which were usually her rest days.
“The weekend is a busy period as there are more customers,” she said, adding that grilled fish and rojak were popular dishes.
Restaurant owner Nor Erwan Mohd Nordin, 37, said he and his 15 workers had not had a busy stretch for some time.
“The sleepy town has come to life during this period.
“People from all walks of life and out of state are converging here.
“The past week has been tiring, but worthwhile as this is the time for us to earn extra. We do not get such opportunities often,” said Nor Erwan.
Among the favourites at his restaurant are char kuey teow, nasi lemak and coconut shake.
Beside food traders and restaurant operators, hoteliers are also benefitting from the by-election hype.
The Assimmy Hotel in Taman Gamelan Indah, located in Sungai Bakap, is fully occupied until July 7.
Its manager Teoh Min Zan said most of the guests were party workers and journalists. “We were fully booked by the day before nomination. All 26 rooms are occupied until Sunday.”
She said the nearest available hotels were in Simpang Empat, which was also seeing high occupancy.
Party volunteer Mohd Tajuddin Rajab, 70, said his group was staying at a homestay nearby.
“When we take a break from work, we tend to hang out at local coffeeshops which have become our go-to spots for meals and meetings,” he said.
Kuek Zhe Han, 28, from Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, said some of the party workers were roped in to put up flags and distribute flyers.
“It’s quite tiring, but for the sake of our party, we will work hard to ensure a victory,” he said.
It is a whole new experience for party volunteers K. Vella and Suffian Azhar, both 19, from Kuala Lumpur.
Customers partaking in lunch offerings at a roadside stall in Sungai Bakap.
“We work from 8am until midnight. We must be on standby in case party leaders need us to help out,” he said.
“If we finish early, we will hang out at our operations room or a nearby coffeeshop.”
Straight fight
The Sungai Bakap by-election is taking place following the death of its incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff from PAS in May.
Perikatan Nasional’s Abidin Ismail, 56, is going head-to-head with Pakatan Harapan’s Dr Joohari Ariffin, 60.
Before PAS came into power in the last state elections, the seat had been a tussle between PKR and Umno since 2004.
And with Pakatan and Barisan Nasional putting up a united front in this by-election, PAS needs to work extra hard to prove that its “green wave” will withstand the mounting pressure.
A total of 39,279 people are eligible to vote in the Sungai Bakap by-election.
In the Penang state elections last August, Malays made up the majority of voters at 59.36%, followed by Chinese (22.54%), Indians (17.39%) and others (0.71%).
The Election Commission has set this Saturday as polling day.
