Grab Malaysia’s partnership with the governments of Selangor and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur will see the homegrown company working with state councils to digitise beloved Bazar Ramadan favourites to serve Malaysians from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Each year, micro-entrepreneurs and social sellers look forward to the season as their busiest period. They participate in their neighbourhood Bazar Ramadan, and organise pop-up stores across the cities.
In a statement, Sean Goh, Country Head of Grab Malaysia, said that this year without a physical presence, these micro-entrepreneurs and social sellers may not yield the same sales as before.
“We want to support them to go cashless and expand their reach to millions of Grab users and use our ecosystem with services like GrabPay, GrabFood and GrabExpress* to help them continue to thrive and deliver their goods directly to Malaysian homes, be it bazar favourites, cookies or Hari Raya outfits,” Goh said.
As a mobile tech platform, Grab has always encouraged businesses to embrace the digital economy to grow their business.
The company recently took a stand to support small, independent restaurants and hawkers by boosting their visibility and demand with Grab’s ‘Local Heroes’ campaign, as they are least likely able to weather the harsh economic storms ahead.
“Our hearts go out to the Mak Cik Kiahs and Haji Sallehs who are just trying to earn what they can during these times,” he said.
Ramadan is a time that all Malaysians look forward to as we naturally participate in each other’s festive celebrations together, and we love our local street food, Goh points out.
“Therefore, it is even more important for us to unite through this shared culture during these challenging times.”
With Selangor and the Federal Territory as pioneers, Grab is actively engaging with other state councils on the possibility of digitising their local Bazar Ramadan merchants to safeguard the income of micro-entrepreneurs.
In addition to making eBazar Ramadan a reality, Grab also has two other initiatives to bring the spirit of Ramadan to the homes of Malaysians, while supporting the small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs.
Firstly, Grab has collaborated with its wide selection of restaurant partners to curate menus with timeless Ramadan favourites like Ayam Percik, Murtabak and Roti John to be available on GrabFood during the fasting month.
Secondly, Grab is welcoming social sellers and home-based micro-entrepreneurs throughout Malaysia to leverage on their nationwide network of more than 100K delivery partners to help them serve their online customers in a more convenient and efficient manner.
”At times like this, we are humbled to be able to use our technology and platform so that Malaysians can still celebrate the fasting month in a safe, hygienic and socially distanced manner,” Goh said, adding that they hope to work with other local councils and bring a new meaning and experience to Ramadan across Malaysia.
