Shopping experience like in the olden days
GROWING up watching and listening to the legendary singer, songwriter and director Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Mariam Abdul Ghapur memorised almost every script from his 66 films.

Thanks to her late father’s vinyl record and cassette collections, Mariam also knew nearly all 650 of P. Ramlee’s songs.

“My father’s obsession with P. Ramlee was so great that he invited the late Fairuz Misran, who has an uncanny resemblance to the legendary artiste, to perform at our house sometime last year,” said the 34-year-old.

Mariam said they intended to display the collection of her late father, former Kalabakan MP Datuk Seri Ghapur Salleh, in a mini museum.

Items from his collection included souvenirs he received throughout his political career.

Once known as an outspoken veteran Sabah politician, Ghapur held the Kalabakan seat from 2004 to 2018.

He passed away on July 4 last year at the age of 80.

Mariam was a one of the stall operators at the two-day Nitepicnic@Kulung event in the vicinity of Sabah Art Gallery in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

The event took visitors down memory lane as they experienced shopping in the olden days.

Some shoppers even dressed according to the event theme.

“My mother was very excited when I told her about this programme.

“She helped with the decorations and made, from scratch, the ‘bunga telur’, which is an artificial flower stem designed to be attached to a hard-boiled egg wrapped in a decorative net,” said Mariam of the traditional wedding souvenir.

She added that for her mother, Datin Seri Norsuadah Basah, 71, it was an opportunity to share the beauty of homemade decorations with the younger generation.

“I borrowed a three-decade-old table from my mother and brought a record player to play songs from that era, to add a classic touch to my stall.

“It also goes well with the cakes I am selling,” said Mariam, who owns a dessert shop in Lintas Plaza.

Dressed in traditional Kadazandusun attire, Sidney was on hand to explain his stall offerings to customers.

Another stall operator Sidney Alvian, 33, who operates the sam.co.eats stall with his wife Alyssa Heera Asing and sister-in-law Mcarnessa Annette Charles, found the event a good opportunity for them to share their menu of traditional dishes with visitors.

“We started our small business about two years ago.

“It all began from taking orders online where people would pre-order and we would deliver their orders to their preferred locations, homes or offices.

“That grew into mini caterings. We hope this event will enable us to expand our business,” said the 33-year-old from Penampang.

Alvian, who was dressed in traditional Kadazandusun attire, said another reason for their participation in the event was to experience the era of their parents and grandparents.

Visitor Steve Johnny Mositun came dressed like a character from one of P. Ramlee’s movies, as a way of supporting the spirit of the event.

“It is fun to play dress-up. I am happy to see many people coming in with their version of a classic look.

“This does bring back memories, it is almost similar to stories of the ‘tamu’ (an open market area) that I heard from my father,” he said.

Mositun hoped similar events would be held regularly because apart from offering visitors a unique shopping experience, it would also provide business opportunities for local traders.

Apart from the stalls, visitors also had the opportunity to watch movies from the “wayang pacak” (outdoor movie) screening, which gained prominence in the 1970s.
Sabah & Sarawak,Sabah Art Gallery,event,stall operator
Classic dishes, traditionally attired stall operators, visitors add charm to Kota Kinabalu market.