One thing about Malaysians is that we know all the best pasar malam or night market spots to satisfy our cravings, from apam balik to cucur udang. It’s a tradition for locals and tourists to visit these night markets to indulge in culinary delights at affordable prices. Every night, we enjoy the best of our street food, and you can’t really say you’re Malaysian if you haven’t been to a pasar malam. But what if we told you that these night markets may cease to exist in just 10 years? Hard to believe, right?
According to Gulam Muszaffar Gulam Mustakim, the president of the Pertubuhan Pengurusan Pasar Malam Kuala Lumpur (PMKL), night market operators have seen business plunge by 50% in the last six months. It’s understandable, but let’s break down the reasons for their suspected “extinction”. Here are 5 reasons our beloved pasar malam is slowly going out of business.
1. The COVID-19 Pandemic
We start with the main culprit: the pandemic. During the nationwide outbreak, many businesses were forced to close due to restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the disease. This led to a huge loss of income, causing even some of our favourite food stalls and outlets to shut down.
It’s no surprise that our beloved pasar malam is still suffering massive losses, as most street vendors relied on them as their main source of income. This has greatly impacted their livelihoods. Even now, businesses are struggling to regain their former customer numbers.
2. Rising Cost of Living
The cost of living, especially in KL, has definitely been a major factor in the decrease of food vendors. Let’s face it, living in KL is expensive. With the prices of ingredients and materials spiking, vendors who used to charge only RM1 for a stick with three nuggets now charge RM4.50.
As the cost of living rises, many Malaysians are spending more frugally, which means not visiting the pasar malam as often. A place that once held memories of family outings, hangout spots, and even ideal date locations has seen a noticeable decline.
3. New malls and buildings
The recent surge in new building developments and outlet malls has forced many pasar malam spots out of their usual locations due to safety requirements from construction zones. Often, these new spots are inconveniently located, causing road congestion and deterring locals who want to avoid the traffic jams, parking, and crowds.
This issue has greatly impacted the pasar malam vendors. According to the president of PMKL, the vendors have even spoken up, insisting that their establishments should continue operating despite the disturbances from the construction sites.
4. Convenience of Food Delivery
Convenience clearly plays a big role in this decline. With the rise of e-hailing food delivery services, it’s become easier for people to get their favourite meals without leaving the comfort of their homes. This shift has also impacted many vendors who aren’t on these e-hailing apps.
Since many people now prefer to stay in and have food delivered to their doorsteps, this reduce the need to go out and buy the food themselves. This change in behaviour has contributed significantly to the decrease in foot traffic at the pasar malam.
5. Lack of Crowds
The main issue, considering all the reasons stated above, is the lack of crowds. When we combine all these factors, it’s clear that the real problem is definitely the dwindling number of visitors. No business thrives without the foot traffic it relies on.
According to a statement by the president of the PMKL, a pasar malam used to attract around 2,000 customers, but now they’re seeing numbers drop to 600-700 in the last six months. And with every good business we were forced to say goodbye to, we may see a future where our tradition goes along as well.
In his closing statement, the PMKL President urged local authorities to take bold, radical measures to ensure the survival of these night markets. Although it has been rough for many of our favourite vendors, we hope that the pasar malam will endure and continue to thrive for years to come.
Source: The Vibes
Jade Mary contributed to this article.
