SMALL business operators in Balik Pulau, especially those in the ecotourism and agriculture sectors are banking their hope that the reopening of the country’s international borders on April 1 will help revive their businesses.
Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory nutmeg producer and plantation owner Chang Kun Min (79) said his factory of over 40 years used to be a tourist attraction before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the country’s economy.
“We have not been getting tourists, especially international tourists, for the past two years. Before the pandemic, we were closed at 6pm everyday but now that we barely get any visitors, we had to close two hours earlier than usual.
“With the reopening of international borders next month, we hope things will get better. However, I think most people will still be cautious,” he told Bernama.
Chang said his forefathers migrated to Penang in 1953 and set up the nutmeg business which had been in his family for four generations.
He followed in the footsteps of his forefathers and started working in the nutmeg business when he was 10 years old and through patience and determination, he was able to set up the factory to further develop the family business.
The nutmeg fruit or “buah pala” is synonymous with the local Penang community and the Ghee Hup Nutmeg Factory produced various nutmeg products such as nutmeg fruit juice which is said to provide relief for sore throat and cough.
Furthermore, he said the fruit peel could be dried for a week to be made into tea, nutmeg seed oil could be derived after steaming the seeds to be used as a massage oil, while nutmeg membranes were widely used in the food industry as spice. — March 20, 2022
Main photo credit: Malay Mail
