EFFORTS are being made to revive the business at Anjung Gurney, a very popular hawker centre in Gurney Drive, that has been badly hit by the reimposition of conditional movement control order (CMCO) during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee Chun Kit, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor Connie Tan and Gurney Drive Village Community Development Council (MPKK) chairman Ooi Su Ching met up with the hawkers at the site today to discuss ways to boost sagging sales.
Lee noted that many of the 111 stalls there have not been operating since the CMCO began on Nov 9, attributing it mainly to a lack of local tourists since cross border travel is not allowed.
“A lot of their income depend on tourists from Kuala Lumpur and surrounding states. But since they are cut off from Penang due to the CMCO, the hawkers’ businesses have suffered.
“This is a major landmark in the state. We’re here to listen to them and help them promote their business,” Lee said.
His office had in September organised a Pulau Tikus Tapao Campaign, tying up with DeliverEat for users to get 15% discount instantly up till Dec 31. And for those who pay with Touch ‘n Go eWallet and use the promo code PULAUTIKUS, they get a RM3 discount.
Tan said together with the MBPP Licensing Department, they would work out the best format for the hawkers at Anjung Gurney.
“One suggestion is for them to open their business four days a week and at a certain time frame. And they have to set up some tables so that it won’t look so empty. This will hopefully draw some crowd back.
“In addition, we also encourage those hawkers who have not signed up with any delivery companies to do so. We will talk to them and give them a promo code to encourage users to order takeaways from here,” Tan said.
Representatives of DeliverEat and Maybank were also present to talk with the hawkers and encourage them to go digital.
Lee Boon Eng and his wife, Tan Soon Heoh, who have been selling rojak for 37 years, said the hawkers’ morale is pretty low at the moment. The couple have also stopped opening their stall since Nov 13.
“Business is not good as you can see that about 20 percent of the stalls here are only open. It’s not only outstation tourists who cannot come here but also Penangites who are living in red zone areas.
“As many stalls here are closed, the place can look quite dark at night. So, this may affect customers from coming here to dine or order takeaway,” said Boon Eng.
Soon Heoh, who is one of the hawkers’ representatives, thanked Chris Lee, Connie Tan and Ooi for their presence and offer of help to promote their business.
She said they would meet again to come up with workable solutions.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by K.H. Ong and courtesy of Gurney Drive MPKK