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P
asar malam, or night bazaar, is one of those on-going attractions that never fail to
draw the local crowd. Made up of peddlers, hawkers, butchers, fruit sellers and fishmongers,
pasar malams are mobile bazaars that roam to a different venue each day or once every week,
offering more than just "market stuff". It is a place where you can get your groceries done,
pick up a few cheap knick-knacks and savour the local fair al fresco.
Just before sunset (and if the weather permits), the vendors come out to a prominent suburb and
congregate on an open field, nearby street, or wherever they've been granted permission by the
local authorities to set up shop for the evening. Carrying their goods in bicycle carts, mini
vans and motorcycles, they line their stalls side by side each other. In high spirits, they
promptly prepare for the evening trade. Some use tables to display their goods while others
spread a plastic sheet over the ground. Those with mini vans have the advantage of built-in
cabinets to exhibit their items.
When night approaches, the excitement begins. From afar, the bazaar resembles a mini fair as it
becomes aglow, illuminated by the halogen lamps and fluorescent lights of each stall. As the
crowd trickles in, the peddlers start their routine, bombarding customers with their sales pitch
and selling everything from clothes to watches, toys, CDs, pots and pans, hardware and even cheap
electrical products. Occasionally, you'll spot one of those medicine men, demonstrating some
"miracle" cure to a crowd of curious onlookers.
As you stroll further into the bazaar, you'll be hit with a spicy whiff that'll pique you
appetite. Following the scent will lead you to a hive of hawker stalls serving all kinds of
inexpensive delights. Business is often brisk for a pasar malam hawker, even more so during
dinner time when those that live nearby flock to their stalls to "ta pau" (take-away) or for a
quick bite under the moonlight. Amidst the throng of peddlers and hawkers, the butchers, fruit
sellers and fishmongers are busily attending to the needs of finicky housewives who are out to
complete their grocery shopping for the week.
Almost an hour shy of midnight, the crowd starts to dwindle. Eager to head home after a long
night, the weary vendors pack up and leave almost as hastily as they arrived, leaving the
sweepers to clear the unwanted remnants of the evening. The suburb is once again silent. Same
time, same place tomorrow, or the next week, they'll be back to wake up the neighbourhood again.
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