a day ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
KJH X Pineapple Day more than crowd puller, promotes local products and entrepreneurs
JOHOR BARU: The Jom Heboh Carnival (KJH) X National Pineapple Day, held at Angsana Johor Baru Mall, was more than just a crowd-pulling entertainment event.
It also served as a platform to uplift entrepreneurs and promote local products to a wider audience.
Organised with the support of various government agencies and private sector partners, the carnival provided valuable exposure for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while offering business coaching, advisory services and networking opportunities.
This year's edition featured a stronger presence from local vendors in key sectors such as food, fashion, handicrafts and digital technology. This aligns with the government's aspiration to strengthen the national entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The event also played a role in boosting the local economy, generating employment and increasing public awareness of locally produced goods.
Ananas Premium Entrepreneur Development manager Lai Mun Siong, who participated for the first time in the Jom Tani KJH X National Pineapple Day Village, said the constant stream of visitors helped entrepreneurs like him build brand recognition.
"The Jom Heboh Carnival is amazing. Even with the rain, many people still came to visit for three days. If possible, it would be great for us to participate in a carnival like this every year.
"The carnival directly helps people, especially visitors, become aware of consuming local fruits, particularly pineapples. Among the popular products were pineapples, pineapple juice, and pineapple sausages.
"I think hundreds of kilogrammes of pineapples have been sold throughout these three days. It's a good promotion for entrepreneurs like us," he added.
Water Gang founder Azrin Md Isa, who has been participating in KJH since 2017, said this year's response was one of the best he had seen.
"Friday being a public holiday added to the excitement. The turnout was fantastic and sales were strong," he said.
Held in conjunction with National Pineapple Day, the carnival highlighted Malaysia's popular tropical fruit in a vibrant and festive setting.
A total of 170 stalls were featured, including those by entrepreneurs from the Jom Tani village under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, UDA entrepreneurs and various interactive booths such as Studio Jom Heboh, Studio Tonton Drama Sangat (TV3, TV9 and Tonton), New Straits Times Press and Kedai Jom Heboh.
In addition to activities such as a children's colouring competition and family interactive games, the event also featured attractions for children including the Ejen Ali Explorace and the NSTP Car Sim Experience booth where visitors could test their driving skills on a realistic race track simulator.
The carnival also drew crowds with appearances by popular celebrities and Media Prima personalities from dramas including Aku Bukan Ustazah 2, Polis Peronda, Baby Papa and Pasca Kau Pergi.
Among those present were Ahmad Syafiq, Kodi Rasheed, Shah Iskandar, Faizal Hussein, Kirana Batrisyia, Liza Abdullah, Aleza Shadan and Didie Alias.
