Ramadan bazaar traders show off their ingenuity

BIG departmental stores may have teams of professional window dressers but, as far as the pasar Ramadan traders in Jalan Masjid India and Lorong Tuaku Abdul Rahman are concerned, a little bit of ingenuity can go a long way when it comes to getting attention.

At Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman behind Noble Hotel, for example, Wan Mohd Ridzuan Harun, 21, drew inspiration from his boss’ penchant for fast cars by hinting that his baju Melayu were reminiscent of Lamborghini yellows, Porsche browns and Ferrari reds.

Head turner: Zamri with his ‘songkok KLCC’

“The idea of associating baju Melayu with sports cars came about when we were looking for a way to entice customers to stop and take a look at our collection.

“Since most of the buyers were men, we thought it would be a good idea to tie the product with something that they were familiar with. Of course, we were also doing it in the name of fun, something to make the customer smile while browsing the bazaar,” Ridzuan said.

Incidentally, Ridzuan revealed that his boss does indeed own a Porsche which was used when they travelled from Kelantan to participate in the bazaar.

A few stalls away, the Tudung Senget headscarves stall is also getting its fair share of attention with attractive salesgirls giving live demonstrations on how to wear and tie the products.

“Actions always speak louder than words when it comes to promoting her two-second-headscarves,” said Fitriza Nurain Faishal, 22, .

In a jiffy: The pretty end result of Fitriza’s demonstration

“All the wearer needs to do is to slip it on and tuck the ends into the sides. There is no need for pins and such,” Fitriza said. .

And the only way to convince them, added Fitriza who has been selling the scarves for seven years, was to show them how easy it was to do it.

Also banking on the visibility factor is Mohd Zamri Abd Karim, 36, a songkok stall owner just next to Fitriza’s stall. The father of three has been turning heads with his tall songkok, a wearable prop which he proudly wears to get the necessary stares.

So far, Zamri’s eye-catching tactic has earned him the nickname Songkok KLCC because of the extra height gained with his specially-made head gear.

Louder than words: Fitriza (right) demonstrating to a customer the way to put on her two-second tudung.

Meanwhile, another songkok vendor who shares the same attention-seeking idea is 22-year-old Afliza Warneli Zaswar who has a size 48 songkok and a giant capal (sandal) hanging at her stall front at Jalan Masjid India.

“We see cars slowing down and people winding down their windows to point at our giant sandal and songkok,” Afliza laughed.

According to Afliza, whose family has been in the songkok business for 50 years, the giant capal was brought in from Indonesia while the songkok was locally made by a craftsman in Gombak.

“Sometimes, I like to pull my customers’ leg by telling them that we had made the capal and the songkok for a customer who has yet to collect his order. You should see their mouths hanging open in disbelief then,” she said with a giggle.