These days, tech apps not only enables us to order fresh food but also deliver local produce to our doorstep, and it is true that this initiative not only makes our lives easier but also shines a light on wet market vendors.
Shahjahan Asan Aliar, a 62-year-old fishmonger at Penang’s Chowrasta wet market, is among the few that have benefited from this initiative.
His experience with this app will undoubtedly enlighten us as to how much it can improve one’s life.
Likewise to other businesses that experienced a brief pause during the first MCO, Shahjahan Also went through the very same situation.
When Shahjahan was ten years old, he used to help his father with the business and earn ten cents per day, ultimately growing to love the business at a young age. His father is from an Indian fishing village, where he learned the trade from local fishermen.
He sells vegetables in Penang. But he wasn’t content with just selling fish. He went back to selling fish because the money wasn’t enough.
He was a bright student who received a scholarship to attend Penang Free School. He dropped out of school in Form 4 after receiving a ‘Grade 3’ in the Malaysian Certificate of Examinations (MCE).
He lost his scholarship, moved away from Penang to work in KL and Singapore, and continued to dabble in various fields away from home. He returned, however, because he missed Penang’s delicacies and the way his father ran the stall really inspired him to step into this business.
Even when their stall was overflowing with customers, the son and father never compromised on product quality. They made sure that only the best of the catch were kept and sold.
“This is the legacy I still continue.”
He said;
It was inevitable, but we needed a way to help businesses, and with Grab, we could do it.
Not many fish sellers think they will benefit from using technology in business. Maybe they are not educated in the area. But you must follow current developments or will be left behind.
According to Shahjahan, a person in business has to keep up with the times, or risk losing out.
Shahjahan finally concluded;
So I knew working with Grab was the right thing to do.
Learning using apps is not difficult. Now we supply fish all over Penang and satisfy more people with high-quality fish. That’s the secret of a successful business: happy customers.
Help small businesses thrive. Order from local traders like Shahjahan Fish Stall at Chowrasta Market, Penang, at GrabMart.
Source: Grab (1st April 2021)
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