Pengkalan Kubor Grows Quiet, Traders Pin Hopes On School Holidays

TUMPAT, Sept 10 (Bernama) — The Pengkalan Kubor Duty-Free Zone, once a hotspot for tourists and locals to shop for various goods from Thailand, has now grown increasingly quiet.  

Pengkalan Kubor Duty-Free Zone Traders Association chairman, Halim Husin said traders there are pinning their hopes on the upcoming school holidays to revive the vibrancy of sales that have declined in recent years.  

Halim, who has been selling kitchenware for more than 30 years, said the atmosphere is no longer as lively as before due to the influence of online businesses and changes in shopping habits following the Movement Control Order during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Many now trade through TikTok and Shopee, and we too have joined in, but customers still prefer coming to shops as they are satisfied seeing the items in person. However, things are rather gloomy now, which is why school holidays and public holidays are our main hope,” he told Bernama today.  

According to him, the duty-free zone has about 150 shops with over 300 members including workers, and it can still attract visitors, especially during long breaks, given its proximity to Pulau Suri (Floating Market) and the Kampung Laut Heritage Site.  

Halim said the location remains a choice for tourist bus groups, and traders believe that the upcoming public holidays on Sept 15 and 16, namely the special holiday and Malaysia Day, will bring a stream of visitors. 

However, he admitted that the lack of food premises posed a challenge for traders, particularly as the local authority (PBT) is currently carrying out repair works in the food area.  

“Food should be diversified, and dishes such as nasi kerabu, smoked meat and other traditional fare could be made into attractions, as food is an important factor in drawing people,” he said.  

He added that the association also advised members to sell goods at reasonable prices and offer discounts to ensure visitor satisfaction, while also hoping the PBT would be more proactive in promoting the area.  

A long-time trader, Wan Azmi Wan Salleh, 60, who has been selling kitchenware for 40 years, said sales have declined as prices are no longer the same as before, coupled with fewer promotional activities.  

“If possible, the state government should organise more programmes here. I also suggest adding covered walkways with fans, as visitors often complain about the heat,” he said.  

For Suriana Ismail, 54, who has been selling clothes for 20 years, competition with online traders has become increasingly tough, to the point where sometimes there are no sales at all in a day.  

“Tour bus visitors are more attracted to food and kitchenware. For us selling clothes, business is slow, and on top of that, prices on TikTok are much cheaper,” she said.  

More encouragingly, over 20 traders took the initiative to pool more than RM2,000 to spruce up an abandoned area by turning it into a resting spot, landscaped area and photo corner for visitors’ convenience.  

Meanwhile, another trader, Rosmaliza Ibrahim, 45, who started her business in 2020 using her Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings, said products such as cashews still sell well during weekends and school holidays.  

Bernama checks at the site found the area rather empty in the morning, before visitors began arriving in the early afternoon, with most focusing their purchases on food items from Thailand, which are cheaper compared to other places.  

Despite the challenges, traders continue to strive to attract buyers by offering reasonable prices and expanding sales to online platforms.  

–BERNAMA

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