The annual gerai perayaan (festive stalls) at designated locations in all four districts came to a close last night with crowds looking for bargains on the final evening of the business operations.
In the Brunei-Muara District, the stalls were set up at the car park opposite the Royal Regalia Museum while in Kuala Belait it was at the Tudung Saji.
As the stalls were taken down, the Bulletin spoke to some of the vendors in the capital.
Chef Tako Takoyaki’s Mohd Wadi Fitri bin Haji Mohd Irwan said he was there to help out with his family’s business as he is currently a student at Politeknik Brunei, adding that his family has been participating in festive stalls for a long time.
“We usually participate in the gerai Ramadhan and gerai perayaan, as well as any street food market events,” he said.
He added that they would change the food items offered just to have the experience of selling different products to see how well their business goes.
“Last year we sold nasi katok but this year, we decided to sell takoyaki, a popular ball-shaped wheat flour-based Japanese snack,” he said.
While the family was happy with the facilities provided this year such as a place for cleaning utensils, rubbish area and prayer room, “maybe in the next event, the authorities could add more washing stations, especially for those whose stalls are further in front, and also one more spot for rubbish”, Mohd Wardi Fitri said.
California Chilli Beef operator Mohd Asriny bin Mohd Ali agreed.
“When business hours were over, there would be quite a queue at the washing stations as vendors packed up for the night.
“For us, we just cleared our stalls and brought home what needed to be washed at home as it took too long to wash on premises. By the time we reached home, we would need to prepare for the next day so we had to manage our time carefully,” he said. Apart from the washing stations, Mohd Asriny also said a slight reduction on the rental would be welcoming amid the hike in prices, especially raw materials, as he does not believe in marking up the price for his loyal customers who have been supportive of his business for many years.
“We use special beef parts for our items, yet we have maintained the price for the past three years. If the rental is lower, it will make us vendors very happy.”
Hajah Suboh binti Haji Badar from Kampong Jerudong shared the same sentiment.
“With material costs mostly up, lower rentwould help with the business,” she said.
She also highlighted the facilities for dine-in customers.
“The floor is prone to breaking due to the material used. So vendors had to fork out money to improve the floor for the safety and comfort of their diners. Although I have been in the food business for over 10 years, this is only our third participation in the gerai perayaan and compared to the last two years, it is much better as there are no longer COVID-19 restrictions,” said Hajah Suboh.
Meanwhile, Mohd Yuzlan, who also helped out with his family’s food stall, said this year’s business has been much better than the previous year, due to lifting of travel restrictions, allowing more tourists to visit the country.
As for the facilities, he applauded the management of the event. “From what I have seen from year to year, the management system has been stellar,” he said.
Meanwhile, the stalls in Tutong and Temburong districts were at the car park opposite the Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah Hospital and the Taman Perayaan in Pekan Bangar.
Marking the end of the royal birthday celebration this year, the public thronged to gerai perayaan last night, evident in the rows of vehicles lining all roads heading to the stalls. It was a sight that happens in the capital a couple of times a year.
The stalls had been operating nightly for the past two weeks, with some operators starting sales as early as five or six in the evening and running until midnight.
However, preparations were made hours before business opened. – Lyna Mohamad
