A Nation At Standstill Keeps The Home Fires Burning

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Zuhaina Ahmad Zubel packing the curry to go with the roti jala for her customers.PETALING JAYA: The kitchen is messy and the cook is drenched in sweat, but these are the marks of a productive day for Zuhaina Ahmad Zubel as she patiently stirs a pot of curry for a roti jala meal for her customers
Tea time is in a couple of hours. A stack of unwashed dishes waits in the sink. Packets of instant noodles and an empty egg tray lie on a table
As she wipes the sweat from her brow, Zuhaina says she has never been busier
Elsewhere, the rest of the country has come to a halt under the stay-home restrictions of the movement control order (MCO) since March 18
In pre-MCO days, she would have prepared breakfast meals of nasi lemak, fried noodles, sandwiches, and tea for her customers. Nowadays she also serves dinner
Her customers are her neighbours, residents of the PPR Lembah Subang 2 public housing scheme where she lives, as well as PPR Lembah Subang 1 and a residential area in Kelana Jaya
A former secretary turned housewife, Zuhaina says orders have increased by 50% since the MCO shutdown, keeping her in the kitchen for long hours
“It has come to a point where my husband gets mad,” she says
The increase in orders has come about because people are kept at home by MCO regulations. In addition, the distribution of Bantuan Prihatin Nasional cash aid has helped many to cope with life under the MCO
More orders means more money – an average of RM200 in daily profits – but that comes at a price. “It’s okay, but the lifestyle isn’t the best,” she says
Zuhaina also purchases her food supplies online which means she has to use whatever is delivered to her. “I don’t have the freedom to choose the potatoes or chicken I want.”Many others have begun offering home-cooked meals since the MCO came into effect, Zuhaina says
Jeni Kew, a mother of three, went into business two years ago to supplement her income by catering home-cooked meals for residents of the Armanee Terrace condominium building. She has also seen a surge in people offering home-cooking
Previously there were “only few of us” running such enterprises, but now there are over 20 households doing so, she says. Although there have been more orders, she is forced to turn some customers away as she has difficulty in coping, especially without any assistance
The MCO restrictions mean she cannot buy the ingredients that she wants. So from preparing 50 portions a day, she has cut it down to 30
“It’s very frustrating because everyone needs food. But my regular customers have been very understanding,” says Kew, who is originally from Kampar
Asked about the extended MCO and how it will impact her business, Kew lets out a restless sigh. “I just don’t know what to do.”In Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam, a resident who only wants to be known as Ahmad said many people in his area have begun offering home-cooked food, ranging from western cuisine to traditional cakes
Most of them are trying to supplement their income as some have had their salaries reduced. It is also to keep themselves occupied while staying at home
“From the feedback I see, the response is very good, some even have difficulty in fulfilling the orders,” he said. - FMT

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