Mohammad Khairuddin prepares a carrot smoothie for a customer at his stall at Kiosk Pelangi.
SIBU (April 15): Technician-turned-trader Mohammad Khairuddin Dilah Amin is determined to not to let the Covid-19 pandemic affect his business at Kiosk Pelangi in Kampung Nangka here during this fasting month.
The 36-year-old, who sells fruit juice and smoothies, said strict compliance to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a must so that his customers, suppliers and fellow traders are not exposed to any danger of becoming infected.
“There are definitely a lot of challenges trading this year. Everything must be done according to the SOPs.
“On the first day of Ramadan yesterday (Tuesday), I didn’t have many customers but this is understandable as many are still worried because of the up-and-down Covid-19 cases in Sibu,” he said when met yesterday.
Mohammad Khairuddin, who has been operating full-time since 2017, said he and his fellow traders at Kiosk Pelangi underwent Covid-19 swab-testing and also applied for permission to trade during Ramadan.
Kiosk Pelangi is one of two sites here designated as Ramadan bazaars this year.
“It (testing) has to be done. Covid-19 is a virus that we cannot see, so everyone has to do what is necessary. I want to be safe as well,” he added.
“I also hope every customer adheres strictly to the SOP or else it would defeat the whole purpose.”
During his time as a technician, Mohammad Khairuddin traded from in front of his house at Kampung Nangka after work to earn some extra money.
“My house is just in front of Kiosk Pelangi. Of course at that time there was no Kiosk Pelangi yet, and I operated under a normal canopy.
“I started off by selling various items. Then in 2017, I quit my job and started my business full time by selling normal drinks,” he said.
He said it was a huge step for him to quit his job to pursue his business, but he did so with the support of his family and friends.
Due to the presence of other stalls selling regular drinks, he said he decided to change to selling fruit juice and smoothies to stand out from the rest.
“I didn’t want to do the same business as the others. Since I used to make smoothies for my own consumption, I thought ‘why not try it as a business product’,” he said.
According to him, he learned various smoothie recipes by watching YouTube videos and combined them with his own recipes which include mango, apple, dragon fruit and others.
Apart from smoothies, Mohammad Khairuddin sells various desserts with the help of his wife Nur Ashikin Joblee, 30.
They usually operate from 10am to 6.30pm but during this Ramadan month, they open from 2pm until 8pm.
“I really hope this Covid-19 pandemic will be over soon so that everything can go back to normal for everyone,” he added.
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