One of the city’s oldest Malay shops is always decorated for every festive occasion and Christmas is no exception.

In keeping with the season, Kedai Runcit Abdul Wahet at Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol here is festooned with bright baubles, boughs of holly and other Yuletide ornaments.

For Mohd Jaya, who runs the shop with his family, it is all about celebrating the state’s multicultu­ral harmony.

“In Sarawak, we like to celebrate together, it doesn’t matter what our race or religion is.

“On Christmas Day, I will exchange gifts with my Christian friends, just as they will celebrate with me du­ring Hari Raya,” he said.

Mohd Jaya, who has been decorating his shop for every major festival for the past five or six years now, wants to keep the practice going for years to come.

“Every year, I try to improve on the decorations. This time, the de­corations are quite simple because the items are getting more expensive,” he said.

Although Mohd Jaya’s decorative ideas are more centred on the shop front this year, he wants to try something different next Christ­mas.

“If I have the budget, I would like to do something different every time,” he said, adding that his customers also looked forward to the festive decorations.

The shop, which has been around since the early 1900s, sells spices, curry paste and well-known Sarawakian food items like kek lapis, kuih cincin and kuih jala.

“We’re now getting Christmas orders for kek lapis and cookies. I’m thinking of doing a carrot kek lapis for Christmas in green, red and yellow,” said Mohd Jaya.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by SHARON LING

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]