PEKAN: Khalidah Aziz doesn’t need statistics to gauge the country’s economic well-being.

She has been selling traditional delicacies at the Ramadan bazaar for more than 20 years, and she said: “If people are buying, the economy is doing well.

“I’m not an economist or a clairvoyant, but this is a good year.”

This year, more people are spending at the Ramadan bazaar, especially civil servants who enjoyed a recent salary increase.

Khalidah Aziz has been selling traditional delicacies at the Ramadan bazaar in Pekan for more than 20 years.

She said the “good time” could last two to three years if the government maintained the prices of essential goods.

“For small traders like us, the impact can be felt immediately,” said Khalidah, fondly known as “Kak Mi” by her customers.

The 46-year-old said things were so good this year, she has had to employ four assistants at her stall, and her most popular dishes are sold out by 5pm.

“It’s a good indication because the bazaar moved to a new site this year,” she added.

But Khalidah is not taking things for granted. In her experience, a downturn comes every four to 10 years.

“I can still remember the downturns in the 1980s and 1990s. We were badly affected.

“I had to take other jobs to support my family,” said Khalidah, who also operates a food stall during the non-Ramadan months.

Asked for a prediction, Khalidah said a downturn would occur when she sells only half the food.

Among her most popular dishes are kerabu pegaga (pegaga mixed with spicy grated coconut); sambal goreng bilis dan kacang (fried anchovy sambal with groundnuts) and pecal (boiled vegetables with groundnut paste).