KUALA LUMPUR — Rainy weather and a low turnout from local fans have impacted the income of several food vendors during the six-day Malaysia Open at the Axiata Arena.
Based on checks by Scoop, several vendors who have participated in the event for multiple editions shared how their businesses have been affected.
Hisyam Rahim, who has been selling beverages with his father for the past five years at the tournament, explained how the heavy rain led to a sharp drop in sales.
“The first few days were especially bad for us. No one came to our booth because of the downpour. We made a little revenue in the morning when we first opened, but from the afternoon onward, we had zero sales.
“It’s been the worst experience we’ve had in years at the Malaysia Open,” he shared.
Hisyam continued, “At one point, we didn’t even have enough to pay our staff. Thankfully, as the weather improved in the last few days, we managed to recover some losses. We just hope that next year’s weather will be better so we can make more than we did this year.”
Lee Yong Fan, who sells keropok lekor and Chinese snacks, faced a similar downturn in business, losing up to RM1,000 in revenue per day due to the bad weather.
“This is the first time in five years I haven’t been able to hit my usual target of RM1,000 a day. Foreigners usually love buying my snacks, especially during and after the games, but the weather has really impacted sales. I’ve only earned about half of what I normally do,” he said.
Yong Fan, clearly frustrated, added, “This is part of nature, but it’s still difficult for me as a businessman. I’m even considering whether to set up my stall next year. I’ll need to check the weather forecast before deciding.”
Yu Bing, who works with her father selling local delicacies, shared how the lack of local fans during the event’s first three days led to food waste.
“The attendance was low, especially since not many Malaysian shuttlers were playing in the final. We had to throw away some unsold food. We could have recycled the food, but our goal is to provide the best delicacies, and it has to be fresh,” she said.
“Thankfully, the final day has been much better, and we’ve made a profit since the morning.”
Meanwhile, the Axiata Arena’s roof leakage became another issue during the opening day of the Malaysia Open, sparking frustration among fans.
Heavy rain caused water to drip onto Courts 2 and 3, disrupting matches, including the women’s doubles clash between Malaysia’s Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing and China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, as well as the men’s singles match between Canada’s Brian Yang and India’s H.S. Prannoy.
The Malaysian Stadium Corporation (PSM) later apologised, explaining that the arena’s roof had not been renovated since the 1998 Commonwealth Games and assured that repairs would be completed before the tournament ended on January 12, with help from the Public Works Department.
Despite the disruption, the leak continued to cause another delay on the second day of the tournament, with rain briefly halting the men’s singles match between France’s Christo Popov and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka on Court 2.
The issue has caused widespread disappointment among local badminton fans, many of whom voiced their anger to Scoop and even threatened to boycott the event if disruptions persisted.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) addressed the concerns, stating that no other viable venues in the capital were available to host the Malaysia Open, which is why the event remains at Axiata Arena. — January 13, 2025