KUALA LUMPUR: The 2022 Mega Festival for Hawkers, Traders and Small-time Entrepreneurs which was scheduled for two days at Dataran Merdeka here has been extended for another day until Saturday (Oct 22).

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said this was due to the encouraging response from city folk with about 20,000 visitors attending the programme organised by the ministry on the first day yesterday.

"Actually, we wanted to extend it until Monday but we have to give way to the KL Car Free Morning programme on Sunday," he told reporters at the festival which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.

Also present were Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar and Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias.

Shahidan said in addition to being a platform to introduce products sold by the traders, the festival was also expected to attract tourists and further boost the country's economy, which has been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, popcorn trader Ab Aziz Muhamad, 41, said the festival was a platform for petty traders like him to recover and expand their businesses following the pandemic.

"It feels like a 'comeback' as it has been a long time since we felt the excitement of doing business like this, after facing the MCO (Movement Control Order)," said Ab Aziz who conducts a lot of business activities online.

Nuts and snacks trader BY Tan, 45, said participating in the festival was a new experience as she had only been doing business at the night market for the past 10 years.

Visitor Nurul Hafizah Dahlan, 27, described the festival as a good opportunity to support petty traders.

-- BERNAMA