Traders at Rantau Panjang duty-free zone in Pasir Mas are selling off flood-affected goods at discounted prices to minimize losses.
The “fire sale” turned the town into a bustling marketplace as eager visitors flocked to the area on Saturday (Dec 30).
One trader, Samsiah Abdullah, 60, decided to auction some of her items, aiming to recoup losses and use the funds to repair her flood-damaged home.
She stated, “It’s definitely a loss, but keeping the clothes wouldn’t help either, so it’s better to auction them at a lower price. The good thing is that people are willing to buy since it’s cheap. Even if I don’t get my capital back, at least I can absorb some losses.”
Samsiah added that not all the goods being sold cheaply were damaged by the floods. Some items were unaffected and in good condition.
“I only managed to move some of my sales items to a higher place. But I couldn’t save everything because I had to rush back home. I was worried I’d be stuck here if I didn’t get out quickly,” she admitted.
Nuriha Muhammad, a home goods dealer, did not expect the large crowds that flocked to the duty-free zone on Saturday. She saw it as a blessing for both traders and residents who had been struggling due to the flood damage to merchandise and homes.
She shared, “But luckily, many buyers came. There were also my followers on TikTok who came from far away, some from as far as Melaka and Terengganu, to help us out here.”
She added, “I believe this is all a blessing. God is just; he takes one, and he gives back 10 times.”
“Ruby,” a sportswear dealer, found the floods to be an opportunity to be charitable by selling sportswear at a price of RM50 for four pairs, despite most of the items not being affected by the flood waters.
She mentioned, “Usually, I sell them at RM35 per pair. But I know there are many in need, so I intend to donate, even though most of the pants were not even affected (damaged) by flood waters.” – Bernama
