KUALA LUMPUR – Food variety is the highlight for many visitors to Ramadan bazaars, but recent high-profile incidents of poor hygiene has put off customers from patronising the bustling collections of shop stalls.
During a Scoop survey at the Masjid Jamek Ramadan bazaar here, several customers who often frequent the stalls are being selective over what they buy.
Aidid Aiman Mohd Fauzi, a 24-year-old pharmacist who works in the area, said despite the stalls looking clean, customers do not know what takes place during the food preparation.
“In general, the stalls look clean. But we don’t know how they prepare their food before coming here.
“What if they prepare their food without gloves and do not wash their hands before starting? So, always buy with caution,” he said to Scoop.
“I have once bought chicken rice from one of these stalls, but it turns out the chicken was spoiled, and I have never gone back. Now I only buy based on the feedback of others and if the stall has many customers.”
Nurin Aliah Mohammad, a student from Bangi, felt vendors should take better care of the food that they sell to people.
“Cleanliness is not something we consumers can control, and it is the responsibility of the vendors to ensure their food is prepared properly and is kept uncontaminated.
“Vendors need to have integrity in what they do. Some vendors see flies around their food and do nothing. Good vendors would see the flies, swat them away, and look at ways to reduce the flies around their stalls,” the 21-year-old said.
She concluded that consumers must also be smart when patronising bazaars.
“In the end, buyers must be picky in choosing the stalls. We need to have a keen eye, if you see the stall is dirty and unkempt, why would you buy from that stall?”
Meanwhile, 26-year-old auxiliary policeman, Muhammad Aiman Zaini said for some, they do not have much choice but to buy from these bazaars.
“Some of the stalls are unsatisfactory in terms of cleanliness, but I live in Bangi, so after my shift is over, I need somewhere convenient to buy food before heading home to break fast.
“Sometimes you have to go with your gut. If you’re craving something, not a lot can stop you from buying the food, but just because you are craving it does not mean you have tunnel vision and see only the food and not be aware of its surroundings and buy from the stall even though it is unclean.”
As of late, bazaar vendors have been getting bad press due to cases of food contamination and unhygienic practices.
A family found a dirty rag in their martabak after purchasing it from a bazaar in Desa Pandan.
Another individual found fly eggs in their beef soup, which they had purchased in Semabok, Melaka. – March 27, 2024