Customers return to Rantau Panjang duty-free zone for Raya shopping

PASIR MAS, April 26 (Bernama) -- After a two-year hiatus due to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Rantau Panjang duty-free zone has reopened its doors to shoppers in conjunction with the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

The transition to endemic phase has given a new lease of life to all traders in the area.

A clothing business owner, Syed Bazlishah Syed Muhammad, 49, said his four-year-old venture is now back to life after people started to make their way into the town beginning in early Ramadan.

"The current situation is very different from two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic affected traders so much so that we had to withdraw our savings to pay employees' salaries, shop rent and other commitments.

"Alhamdulillah, things have changed this year due to the increase in sales, I can earn between RM1,000 and RM2,000 a day," he said when met at his business premises, today.

Sharing the same sentiment, Mariam Abdullah, 40, who sells Raya cookies said the return of shoppers to the town was a great relief to traders and has increased their income.

“We are relieved because business is picking up, not only the locals but people from outside Kelantan have come to shop here,” she added.

Mariam said traders in the area were grateful to the government for the flexibility provided during the transition to endemic phase, allowing people to shop at the Rantau Panjang duty-free zone and boosting their business.

Meanwhile, Mohd Amar Amir Md Noor, 23, said he decided to do his shopping early in preparation for Hari Raya Aidilfitri next week to avoid congestion as Kelantanese who are based out of state are expected to return home beginning this Friday.

-- BERNAMA