JOHOR BARU: Affordable fresh seafood sold by the Orang Asli community is drawing customers from far and near.

       Prices at the Bakar Batu Orang Asli morning market in Permas Jaya here are much lower compared to elsewhere.

       This has led many lovers of seafood to travel the long distance to the market. Customers also have to rush as the market opens for only two hours from 8am to 10am.

       A trader, S. Kristina, 36, said she goes out to the river or sea as early as 6.30am to get fresh catch to be sold at the market.

       “I have been fishing for five years and this has been my main source of income to support my family. After I’m satisfied with the day’s catch, I will come straight to the market to sell it. Many of my customers find the prices affordable.

       “I don’t mind selling my catch at a cheap price. I feel satisfied knowing that my customers are happy with what I sell them. I am grateful to them for buying our catch,” she told Bernama recently.

       Kristina, who is a Seletar Orang Asli, said that previously she was able to get RM300 a day from sales of her catch, but the situation changed when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

       “Since the pandemic, we had been getting fewer customers until we hardly made RM200 a day. At times, I could only sell RM30 worth of seafood but thankfully, the situation is back to normal now,” said the mother of four.

       A survey by Bernama found that various fresh seafood from the rivers and the sea such as mussels, prawns, oysters, ikan banang susu, ikan belukang, crabs, ikan kitang and ikan daun baru are sold at the market.

       Another trader, Atan Mamut, 41, of Kampung Teluk Jawa, said he was taught by his parents from an early age to become a skilled fisherman.

       A customer, Sapiah Sukarino, 65, said she was willing to drive the 12km distance from Larkin to the market to get fresh river and sea products at a much cheaper price than at regular markets.

       “I will be at the market at least twice a week, especially for wet items. This market here offers new and fresh stock.

       “I am satisfied,” she said, adding that the Orang Asli traders in the market were very friendly.

       Othman Saib, 58, of Gelang Patah, concurred with Sapiah, adding that the market was conveniently located apart from its reasonable prices.

       He said he would come to the market twice a month to get fresh seafood.

       The morning market was relocated from Stulang Laut to the Tapak Khas Jualan Hasil Laut Orang Asli near Sungai Tebrau here in 2018.

       The Seletar Orang Asli or the “sea gypsies” are a group of coastal and sea travellers who live in boats on islands, coastlines and river estuaries. Their main settlement area is on the coast of the Strait of Johor and in northern Singapore.