MUKAH: Iced-drinks seller Fabian Laberi thanked Dalat and Mukah District Council (MDDM) for its good understanding in allowing him and other sellers to operate at the five-foot way of the shophouses here.
This arrangement was after their stalls beside a shopping centre were ordered closed by the local authority due to surging Covid-19 cases in this district recently.
He was among the many stall operators trading at the semi-open space beside a shopping centre for the last few years, until they were ordered to temporarily stop operation from April 12 to May 12.
Apart from the five-foot way of the shophouses, a number of stall operators are also found trading at other locations in the town area.
Fabian, who is in his forties, said they received the notice from MDDM to stop operations three days prior to the last day of operation.
He explained that like the others, he was also shocked by the notice because it would directly affect their businesses and livelihood for the next one month.
“We discussed with MDDM and some suggestions were put forward, which later on were adopted,” he told New Sarawak Tribune today.
According to him, initially, as proposed he put up his stall by the roadside near Taman Mutiara Indah about two kilometres from town, but stayed there for one day only due to safety reason and lack of customers.
He then moved to a corner lot of a five-foot way of a shophouse in the New Township and remained there until today, Fabian explained.
He said he really appreciated the tenant of the shophouse and also MDDM for allowing him to conduct his business at a new and strategic location, while adhering fully to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
He added so far business was encouraging in the last four days, including at another stall in Kampung Sungai Ragei near the town.
The former journalist said he would always try to improve the quality of his products and services to the customers. At the same time he also hoped his business would improve once his stall resumed after the expiry of the notice.
Fabian offered three main iced-drinks namely teh madu Borneo, green tea fresh milk and chocolate kaw nikmat sebenar which are all sold at reasonable prices.
MDDM also disallowed Ramadan Bazaar here for the second consecutive year this year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
