KUALA LUMPUR: E-hailing companies such as Grab have come up with various initiatives to realise the Ramadan e-bazaar concept, which will replace physical bazaars during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
In a statement, Grab said it will engage with small business traders in as many as three ways, to allow Malaysians to fully enjoy their favourite culinary delights this Ramadan.
Firstly, GrabFood Favourites will see the e-hailing company work with merchants to curate a Ramadan special menu which will be available nationwide.
Secondly, small businesses, micro entrepreneurs as well as social sellers will be invited to join the GrabExpress Ramadan to serve their customers online.
Thirdly, Grab will work with local state governments to create a centralised e-bazaar kitchen from where orders can be collected – and a thorough study of this concept is being conducted in collaboration with the authorities.
“We recognise that times are tough and we are focused on helping small businesses and micro entrepreneurs to generate more demand to sustain their businesses.
“Some of the efforts we have taken in this area are to launch a ‘Local Heroes’ campaign together with the Grab Small-Biz Relief (GSR) programme which focuses on helping our small restaurants and hawkers as they are least likely to survive,” a company spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said only existing food delivery systems via e-hailing companies are allowed to participate in the e-bazaar initiative – the only model allowed to operate during Ramadan while alternative proposals are studied further.
The government had earlier shelved the idea of the drive-through concept due to concerns that it would lead to a high volume of cars on the roads and people leaving their homes at the same time.
Meanwhile, Foodpanda is working with Penang Halal International, a subsidiary of the stated-owned entity Penang Development Corporation, to launch an e-bazaar in the state. The initiative will enable Penangites to enjoy Ramadan dishes during the MCO, while also helping Halal-compliant businesses reach their customers.
Ahmad Zaki Nawawi Azharuddin, who runs an ikan bakar business with his elder brother, said they are likely to try out the e-delivery service this year for a change.
The public relations officer based here said he has been weighing the various options available to them to sell their delicacy this fasting month.
“My brother and I have been selling our ikan bakar at a bazaar Ramadan in Ampang for the past three years. Since this year is not an option anymore, we’re exploring e-delivery,” he said.
But e-delivery poses other challenge for traders, such as packaging perishable food.
“We’re using banana leaves as our wrapper, but if we’re going to enlist e-delivery services, we will have to look for a more suitable packaging. This is to ensure that our products are well-kept kept during delivery,” he added.
Online business operator Muzdalifah Mohamad Mustapha and her husband sold Ramadan favourites such as laksa Johor, mee rebus, kacang pool and other Johorean dishes at the bazaar Ramadan in KL last year.
This year, the husband and wife team decided to take a “wait and watch” approach before deciding on their next plan.
Muzdalifah has been exploring a few e-bazaar platforms, but she has her doubts.
“There are just too many e-bazaar platforms these days and some are not well-developed. For example, there are two different camps in Pandan alone that handle e-bazaar and they have their own operating systems,” she said.
Muzdalifah, who also runs a frozen, ready-to-eat meal business, said traders need to be tech savvy and constantly promote their food online.
“I think the young traders will have no problem promoting their food online, but for the old timers, it might be a problem. Personally, I think we should all take this opportunity to try e-commerce for a change,” she said.
On the extra charges that customers may pay for e-delivery services, Muzdalifah said if customers need a certain product or service, they are willing to pay, no matter the cost.