By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Feb 5: From a distance, Kedai Runcit Abdul Wahet looks like any other old Chinese shop selling festive goodies.
Due to the upcoming Chinese New Year festivity, the shop was decorated with bright red lanterns of various shapes; artificial firecrackers and pineapples; pink and red flowers; pineapple lanterns and lights ornaments.
However, these decoration are not just for Chinese New Year.
Every year without fail, Kedai Runcit Abdul Wahet, a Malay-Indian family owned shop is always decorated for every festive occasion.
Located at one of the oldest shops just next to the city’s main mosque along Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol here, current owners Fazan Abdul Wahet and Mohd Jaya Idris will decorate the shop according to the main festive seasons celebrated in Sarawak.
As Fazan was not around when DayakDaily visited the shop, his niece Malini Idris, who is also assisting in running the daily business said her late grandfather Abdul Wahet Abit, came from India back in the early 1900s.
“My grandfather started selling buns and bread in the market. Then he got this shop some 70 years ago where he initially sold spices and small groceries. In the1980s, he expanded it by selling local cakes and cookies.
“When his children (my father and uncles) took over, our family decided to add in food catering as well. One of our famous items is, of course, the roti canai,” she said.
Malini, who is now the third generation to continue taking care of their family business, added that their regular customers from all races, age and even those from Peninsular Malaysia will drop by to order spices, curry paste, Sarawakian cakes and cookies such as tebaloi, kek surat cinta, kek lapis, kuih cincin and kuih jala.
“About seven years ago, my uncle who loves decorations and collecting them, started to put ornaments at the shop. He said business was at its best during festive seasons to attract customers, and from there, we help to decorate the place during this time.
“Now its Chinese New Year, so you can see Chinese theme decorations. When it comes to Gawai Dayak, Hari Raya or Christmas, we will use other decorations fit to the festive theme,” Malini said, adding that her uncle will get ideas and purchases items from other places he visited.
She acknowledged that keeping a third-generation business going is a hard work, due to competition from bigger grocers or supermarkets.
However, Malini asserted that they are happy and proud of their shop and family as this is an example of unity in diversity.
Sarawak she said, is a multiracial state and everyone have been living in a multicultural society.
“We must keep that intact and one of the ways to do so is to celebrate festive seasons together, regardless of race or religion. Although we can still improve, it shows how harmonious our people are, from Chinese, Malay, Dayak, Indians, owners, employees or shoppers when it comes to living together under one umbrella,” she added. — DayakDaily
