Wednesday September 8, 2010
Money to be made from leaves
Ready to sell: Mohd Ridwan getting the coconut leaves ready for customers at his stall along Jalan AMJ.
MALACCA: Odd-job worker Mohd Ridwan Omar has taken the opportunity of the festive season to make money out of leaves. The 24-year-old said he decided to try his luck at selling more than 50,000 strips of coconut leaves, which were used to wrap ketupat, after seeing his friends at it.
“I wanted to give it a go as my friends managed to make good profits from selling these leaves last Hari Raya,” he said when met at his stall along Jalan AMJ in Cheng yesterday. Ketupat – rice cooked in woven coconut leaves and eaten with dishes such as rendang, lontong and seruding – is a must-have in a Raya spread. Mohd Ridwan said it was also less of a hassle for him to sell these leaves, rather than sellingthe usual buka puasa fare of beef, chicken and other food.
“This is because the dishes have to be sold immediately or else, they will turn bad. “There is now a good demand for these leaves because there are not many coconut trees left in the urban areas. Many families living in cities find it more convenient to just buy the coconut leaves, which have already been cleaned and prepared for wrapping,” he said.
Mohd Ridwan said he had to order his supply in advance from Batu Pahat, Johor, because he could not find enough leaves in Malacca. “I sell 100 strips of leaves for RM7 or 50 leaves for RM4. Demand has been very encouraging and I plan to order more for next year’s Hari Raya,” he said. “After all, Hari Raya is not complete without ketupat,” he added.
