The handing out of “Duit Raya”, the money usually inserted into small envelopes or packets, is among the traditions eagerly awaited by children and even teenagers during Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Although the convenience of online transfers exists these days, the humble packets still play a significant role in livening up the festive atmosphere as children become excited at the very sight of them.
Instead of printing Raya packets featuring the usual designs associated with the festival, bumiputera printing firm Fresh Print Trading has chosen to promote Malaysia by depicting images of the iconic buildings and landmarks of its various states on the covers.
This year, among the company’s most sought-after Raya packets are the Johor-themed ones, showcasing the Stadium Sultan Ibrahim building and the ceramic town of Ayer Hitam as well as the gambus, a traditional musical instrument that is synonymous with the southern state.
Collector’s item
Fresh Print Trading founder Aziz Ahamed Mohamed Ismail, 33, said he came up with the idea of printing Raya packets depicting images of iconic structures and landmarks of the various states following the launch of Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
He said his efforts were in line with the government’s call to Malaysians to do their part in promoting the nation and all the states to locals and foreign visitors.
“We wanted to produce covers that could become collector’s items. To make this possible, we held discussions and identified the buildings and cultural icons of the various local communities that we could highlight.
“But we met some challenges, one of which was to ensure that the iconic buildings we had identified still existed. For instance, one of Kuala Lumpur’s landmarks, Pudu Jail, no longer exists. It has been demolished, and a mall has been built on the site,” he told Bernama when met at his office in Desa Pandan, here.
He added that the images featured on their small envelopes are constantly updated and also include new buildings completed after 2020.
“These packets are ‘evergreen… They can be used for any occasion and are not just limited to Hari Raya. They can be used to give (cash) gifts at weddings and other functions,” he said, adding that his covers featuring the attractions of Johor, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are often reprinted due to popular demand.
Hit by pandemic
Aziz Ahamed, who has a degree in computer software engineering from Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, also said his company was nearly paralysed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had already printed about 200,000 state-themed Raya packets when the government announced the movement restrictions (in 2020). We tried selling them via online platforms, but the response was lukewarm.
“We thought the hard work we had put in was in vain but, fortunately, we were able to sell our Raya packets after the restrictions were eased later as they were still in good condition. This was because we printed the packets using good-quality matte art paper, which is more durable and mould-resistant and doesn’t fade easily,” he explained.
His company is now enjoying brisk business and has about 200 sales agents and part-time workers, most of whom are youths and single mothers. In fact, according to Aziz Ahamed, some of his agents can achieve sales worth RM1,000 a day.
“It’s easy for them to promote these covers. All they need is to be on social media and make use of platforms such as TikTok, as people these days prefer to do online transactions,” he said, adding that sales of their Raya packets this year are expected to soar to over one million by the end of this month.
He said that based on information shared by their biggest agent, Qamariah Store, social media advertising contributed to nearly 80 percent of their sales. Each pack containing 10 Raya packets is priced at RM5.90.
Aziz Ahamed also said his company has acquired high-tech printing machines and hopes to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to print souvenirs in the form of covers and calendars in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2025.
Information on the company’s products is available on its Facebook account, freshprintmy, and TikTok account, @freshprintmy. – Bernama
