Singapore — Since there will be no physical Hari Raya bazaar this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has set up a website to feature Muslim businesses in Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak.
“In the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan and the absence of a physical bazaar this year, grassroots volunteers of PSP Chua Chu Kang have set up a website to highlight Muslim businesses serving the Chua Chu Kang & Bukit Gombak community,” the PSP said in a Facebook post on Friday (April 16).
“Visit the website at cckramadanbazaar.com and apply to be listed on the site for free if you are a business situated in Chua Chu Kang or Bukit Gombak serving the Muslim community there,” said the PSP Facebook post.
Visit the website and you will be asked:
“Did you know that the Bukit Gombak area is often referred to as the Geylang Serai of the West, with its plethora of Muslim-run shops?
“We hope that in the absence of a physical bazaar this year, you can continue supporting these businesses below by buying your favourite food, clothes and kueh from them.”
Businesses already listed on the website include Nine Spices, selling nasi rempah, mee rempah, and rose mochi, L&M Seafood CCK, selling halal seafood, and Chef Chicken Rice, selling halal chicken rice and noodles.
Hari Raya light-up
The annual Hari Raya light-up began on April 9. This year’s street lightings and decorations will last till May 23. The light-up starts ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which will last from April 13 to May 12.
The lights will be switched on daily from 7 pm to midnight, with the hours extended on May 12 — the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri — till 6 am. The light-up that includes the physical light installations is actually part of Geylang Serai’s Hari Raya Light Up, and not Bazaar Kita.
The annual Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar is also not being held this year because of the pandemic.
Instead, there is Bazaar Kita, a one-stop Ramadan portal launched on April 9 by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with Wisma Geylang Serai, which is part of the People’s Association. Bazaar Kita (www.bazaar-kita.sg) is a one-stop portal for all things Ramadan, which features retail and F&B options, live performances and more, online. Shoppers can purchase their Ramadan and Raya essentials on Shopee/Bungkus/GrabMart.
The online portal Bazaar Kita takes the place of the usual 40 installations that stretch a total distance of 1.4 km – 500 m in Sims Avenue, starting at Paya Lebar Quarter, and 900 m in Changi and Geylang roads, starting at CharisTurf.
This year’s light-up is themed “Celebrating Our Kampung Spirit” and was jointly organised by the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCC) of Kembangan-Chai Chee, Geylang Serai and Marine Parade. /TISG