A Roof For Cooler Heads To Prevail At Tamu Desa In Telupid Town

SANDAKAN, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Guest traders at the Tamu Desa site in Pekan Telupid here are relieved that they can now do business in a more comfortable and cooler environment, especially the elderly vendors who are still active selling every Sunday.

Justina Gulung, 71, expressed her gratitude that she can do business in a more comfortable setting after the market site was upgraded this year.

“Previously, we had to sell by the roadside and endure the searing heat under a canopy but now this tamu site is more comfortable with a roof,” she told Bernama.

The mother of four said the cooler conditions prevailing allow vendors to sell their vegetable and fruit produce in serenity despite the unpredictable income.

Justina said that as early as 6 am, she and other traders from around Telupid begin setting up their stalls and sell until noon, whereby the earnings are used to cover daily necessities like petrol.

She said her income would increase during the fruiting season when demand is higher than sales such as vegetables.

“During the fruit season, I would sell tarap, langsat, rambutan, cempedak and durian dalit," she said, adding that these local fruits are always in demand.

Laimah Limbas, 74, another trader at the market, said she was also relieved doing business in a comfortable atmosphere away from the scorching heat, even though her daily earnings hover between RM30 and RM50.

However, on days when she has a larger quantity of produce, her income can reach up to RM300.

“Today, I sell vegetables such as white pumpkin, ginger, bitter gourd, white pepper, kantan (torch ginger) flower, cucumber and also papaya," she said.

On Sept 21, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Ewon Benedick officiated the Tamu Desa Pekan Telupid, which is one of the tamu sites under the Premises Development Programme (Tamu Desa) in Sabah and Sarawak, to benefit a total of 3,922 traders.

-- BERNAMA