Eateries among the clear winners

MUAR: The upcoming Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections have brought a boost to local businesses in the area. Restaurants, coffeeshops, and food stalls are experiencing a surge in customers as people gather in the constituencies before nomination day on Aug 26. Activists from various political groups, government officials, and media personnel have also flocked to these areas due to the by-elections.

Tuzilah Md Saru, who runs a restaurant selling asam pedas, noticed an increase in customers about two days before nomination day. Her shop is located in Jalan Sungai Abong, a main road in the heart of the Simpang Jeram constituency. Tuzilah attributed the rise in customers to the campaign activities held in nearby Muar. She mentioned that on nomination day itself, the number of customers significantly increased, especially during lunchtime.

The presence of top party leaders has led to large gatherings of campaign workers and residents, resulting in high demand for local businesses. For instance, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s campaign visits in the first two days saw a peak in customers, according to Tuzilah.

Marcus Lim, a third-generation coffeeshop owner in Muar, also noticed a positive impact on his business due to the visits of political leaders. He mentioned that one party held more than five rounds of walkabouts in the area, attracting supporters who would stay and have drinks. Lim expects sales to further increase during the polling day weekend, as outstation voters return home to cast their ballots.

According to voter registration data, there are 40,488 registered voters in Simpang Jeram, with Malays comprising 51.87%, Chinese 44.58%, Indians 2.53%, and other communities 0.99%. In Pulai, Aslinda Sulaiman, a bakery shop owner, experienced a significant spike in sales during a visit by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Aug 25. Aslinda hopes for more campaign walkabouts in the area to benefit the local business community.

Restaurant owner J. Valaiitham expressed optimism that his business will also benefit from the election as polling day approaches. Currently, his restaurant has not seen a significant rise in business, as rival restaurants are closer to the command center of one of the political parties. However, he believes that as the campaign intensifies and polling day draws nearer, there will be a good chance for his business to reap the benefits.

The Pulai parliamentary seat has 166,653 voters, with Malays comprising 44.18%, Chinese 40.46%, Indians 12.31%, and other ethnicities 3.06%.