Hajah Jamilah binti Abdullah is among the stall vendors at Tamu Kianggeh, striving to make ends meet with her husband.
The couple work hard and make every effort to survive rather than seek empathy or assistance.
When she first arrived in Brunei from Thailand in 1987, after converting to Islam and marrying her first husband, a Bruneian, life was quite challenging as she struggled to adapt to the new environment and her role as a wife and a convert.
It took her about a year to learn the language and become accustomed to the culture and life in the Sultanate. Initially a full-time housewife, she began engaging in business activities after the birth of her third child, following the acquisition of her permanent resident status.
She started her business at the old Tamu Tambing, now the waterfront, selling eggs, sugar cane and vegetables. When the market moved to its second location in the capital, now known as Tamu Kianggeh, she began selling fresh fish and fruits, as there were few vendors offering these items.
With the income generated from her business, she and her first husband performed the haj pilgrimage.
In 2007, the tamu was relocated to a new spot just across from the previous Tamu Kianggeh. Here, she began selling fruits with her second husband, also a Bruneian, after being divorced from her first husband for some time.
“I started selling fruits and vegetables not commonly available here. We have an agent in Sabah who delivers the produce to us, and there are also some items we order ourselves,” said Hajah Jamilah.
With her friendly nature and soft-spoken accent, which indicates that the Bruneian language is not her mother tongue, she managed to gain a loyal customer base. She is popular among visitors, especially Thais, Indonesians and Bangladeshis working in the country. She does not take much profit, focusing instead on supporting herself and her husband. Business was doing well until the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, making life difficult for the couple.
Nevertheless, they refused to seek assistance and tried to find ways to survive. When conditions improved, they re-opened for business but it wasn’t business as usual due to ongoing restrictions.
The couple felt the pinch with the re-opening of borders and Bruneians began crossing over to get cheaper fruits and vegetables. This was beyond her control, as she needed to make a living.
Regardless of the returns, Hajah Jamilah and her husband continue to do their best, and as long as they are healthy, they will not stop managing the stall. – Lyna Mohamad
