GEORGE TOWN – The enforcement of the movement control order (MCO), which has restricted Thaipusam processions and related activities this year, has put coconut suppliers in a quandary.
Suppliers of coconuts, an essential offering in the celebration, are incurring losses and are having to find other ways to market the pre-ordered coconuts.
Each year, thousands of coconuts are broken by Hindus during Thaipusam along the 8km stretch from Lebuh Penang to Jalan Kebun Bunga near here during the golden and silver chariots’ procession bearing the statue of Murugan to fulfil vows during the festival.
Joel Jeyachandran, 36, who owns the coconut supplying outlet Joez Coconut, said: “The demand for coconuts has dropped 100%, from 80,000 (last year) to zero this year. This situation is expected to persist until the Chinese New Year festival and also Hari Raya,” he told Bernama when met at his premises on Jalan Datuk Keramat here today.
He said this is because temples will not be open for any religious ceremonies for the festival such as fulfilling vows by breaking coconuts.
“However, the demand is per usual for daily needs such as coconut milk, young coconuts, and drink products that we sell such as coconut shakes, coconut jelly, and other products,” he said.
According to Joel, his company has been forced to shoulder a huge loss as it still has to pay the coconut supplier in Bagan Datuk, Perak for 80,000 coconuts as stipulated in its contract, but will seek to mitigate the loss by selling the coconuts.
Meanwhile, a coconut retailer met at Joel’s premises, T. Muthumanickam, 28, said he is struggling to keep the family business, which he has been running for the past 30 years, afloat in the absence of demand.
“Business is very slow due to the pandemic. I was also forced to lay off two workers (because I could not pay their wages),” he said.
On January 8, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy said that for Thaipusam, which falls on January 28, the chariot processions may be cancelled this year and urged Hindus to stay home on that day to curb the spread of Covid-19. – Bernama, January 20, 2021
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