SINGAPORE — The annual Hari Raya bazaars at Wisma Geylang Serai, Our Tampines Hub and in Woodlands will be cancelled this year as a precaution due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the People’s Association (PA) said that it will not be organising festive bazaars and trade fairs with effect from Wednesday (March 18).

Although residents "may feel disappointed as the bazaars contribute to the festive mood", PA said that the measure taken is necessary because bazaars attract large crowds.

It added: “For festive bazaars where tenders have been awarded, the organisers will abide by the cancellation clauses and look after the interest of the tenderers.”

For trade fairs that have already gone ahead and are being held, extra precautionary measures such as temperature taking and providing visitors with hand sanitisers have already been put in place by the operators.

On March 13, the Ministry of Health issued an advisory on social distancing in public venues, and asked the public to defer or cancel all non-essential events and gatherings, as the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve.

Mr Solihin Jasri, 26, a technician, said that the cancellation of the bazaars will put a dampener on his family’s Hari Raya Puasa celebrations this year.

“Every year without fail, my family and I will visit the bazaars for the food and atmosphere,” he said. 

“It has become a family tradition of ours every year to indulge in the activities of the bazaar. From buying the kuih-kuih (sweet snacks) to shopping for a new baju kurung (traditional clothing). Hari Raya won’t feel the same this year without the bazaars.”

For Mr Hasif Othman, the cancellation means bad news for his business. 

The 29-year-old is a regular stallholder at the annual Hari Raya bazaars and runs Katoshka, which serves fries with assorted sauces, at the various bazaars. 

He told TODAY that his earnings have already taken a drastic hit but declined to reveal by how much.

Mr Hasif said that at first, the tender for the festive bazaars was put up and the plan was to have booths put further apart but it was recalled in the end.

“To be honest, I did not order supplies this year because I anticipated that this (closure of bazaars) might happen. At the moment, I am using my savings to get by.”

Mr Nazhan Nasirm 26, a Grab driver said that the cancellation is a right move by the authorities. He feels that no risks should be taken, especially now that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to worsen.

“At this point, I think we should worry more about the safety of our loved ones especially. The bazaars are secondary,” he said. 

“My family and I are even planning to do a small-scale celebration for Hari Raya this year as we know how dangerous large crowds can be.”