TUMPAT: Whether you are in Kota Baru for work or on holiday, your trip is not complete unless you put Pengkalan Kubor down in your itinerary.
Border shopping is, perhaps, one of the most talked about things-to-do by Malaysians.
Checking one of the duty free shopping areas at the border, Pengkalan Kubor to be specific, brought about quite interesting buys besides learning that most of the traders in this small Kelantan town actually have families on both sides, thus giving them wider access to trading products.
The ongoing campaign for the Pengkalan Kubor state by-election has brought extra income and sustenance to traders at the Pengkalan Kubor Duty Free Zone Complex.
Many of them, when met by the NSTOnline team, expressed happiness and gratitude with the presence of hundreds of local and foreign visitors at the complex daily, which had helped boost their business and income.
Roziani Hamzah, 27, who sells women's clothings at the complex, said her daily income had increased tremendously over the past week.
"Prior to this, my daily income is just between RM200 and RM800, but over the past week, I can earn up to RM3,000 a day, thanks to outsiders who come here for the by-election," she said.
Another trader, Halim Husin, 48, said the complex is usually only filled with people during the weekends and holidays but with the by-election in town, the place was packed, especially with outsiders buying goods and souveniers for their loved ones.
“It has been great so far, we have no complaints, business is booming thanks to the by-election,” he said.
Nadi Collection is one of the popular outlets in Pengkalan Kubor selling a wide range of trendy wear.
Nadi Collection’s range of products are from Bangkok and South Korea, specially selected by the owner, known only as Di, who ensures that the products he sells are of the latest trend and fashion.
Much of Pengkalan Kubor is only known by word-of-mouth but not much has been documented of this wonderful shopping zone, which has something for everyone, no matter what taste and preference.
For women, there are several outlets selling blouses of the latest designs, head scarves, Pashmina shawls screaming popular brand logos in numerous colours and, of course, copies of big name brands for shoes and handbags.
Pots and pans: A good selection of stainless steel ware can be bought here.
Best-selling items are usually belts with branded buckles, handbags (now is the season for totes) and embroidered blouses.
For men, traders at the Pengkalan Kubor Duty Free Zone stocks jeans with branded labels like BMW and Dunhill. However, prices are a fraction of the originals.
Pashmina shawls are aplenty in Pengkalan Kubor as most double up as selendangs for women who do not don head scarves.
However, sometimes when the fabric is thin enough and by improvising the length, some innovative women turn the Pashmina shawls into head scarves.
For the young lasses and teenagers, many items with bling-blings are available, such as colourful sequinned bags, hair bands, pretty dresses, blouses and pants.
The young men have their usual F1 items such as emblazoned shirts, just like the real thing that the participants and their managers wear.
Textiles, which sometimes go for as little as RM20 a piece or even at RM50 for three sets, are available in abundance here.
The colours are of every nuance you can find and quality is quite good.
For Muslim women, this is heaven as the Busana Muslim is widely available and the products are from the cheapest to the most elegant.
The home is not forgotten in this border town as there are many shops that stock up on stainless steel ware, Pyrex, fine china and porcelain items.
A large shop adjacent to the market complex sells hundreds of designs for tableware. The shop is a good place to buy flatware such as dinner knives, forks and spoons.
Crystal items are also available and most of what can be found here are unique pieces of fruit baskets and vases that come with gold-plated rims or sit in wired contraptions.
If you are looking for fruit and Thai rice, then this is the place to be, although the latter is not encouraged as a purchase because the Customs may be a little sticky about it.
One of the must-buys are cashew nuts, which come dry roasted or fried.
Then there are the tempting tamarind sweets and dodol in coloured plastic wrappers besides the savoury squid rolls and fried chilli anchovies.
Buy these items as they are cheaper here than anywhere else, especially pistachios, which go for about RM25 to RM28 a kg. The cashew nuts are also about the same price.
At the marketplace, many types of fruits are available such as sweet tangerines, dokong, duku and langsat, mangoes and durians, depending on the season.
The duty free shop, which takes up two lots, sells original branded items such as Dunhill and Arnold Palmer, branded shoes and bags and many food items from both Thailand and Malaysia.
Pengkalan Kubor may not be famous for food but one can find, on an ad-hoc basis, good coconut jelly to cool off with, as this shopping area can be pretty warm, being close to the sea.
All said, if you are in Kota Baru for work or on holiday, your trip will not be complete unless you put Pengkalan Kubor down in your itinerary.