Entering the month of Ramadan this year, Tanah Abang Market, as one of the largest textile trading centers in Southeast Asia, is revitalizing again. Hundreds of visitors were observed crowding the market on Tuesday (29/3/2022). They hunt for various kinds of clothing and attributes related to the implementation of worship in the month of Ramadan, such as Muslim clothing, mukena, sarongs, prayer rugs, and other prayer accessories. Tanah Abang Market Promotion Manager Block A Hery Supriyatna said the number of visitors at Block A Tanah Abang Market had increased dramatically in the last few weeks.

"It's getting crowded, the last two to three weeks it's started to get crowded," said Hery at Tanah Abang Market, Tuesday. Most of the market visitors buy goods in large quantities and then re-marketed.

Even though the Tanah Abang Market is crowded, visitors are still monitored for implementing health protocols, such as wearing masks amid the spread of Covid-19.

The enthusiasm of visitors to Tanah Abang Market

Yani, a buyer from Joglo, West Jakarta, admitted that she was enthusiastic about welcoming the month of Ramadan this time because worship activities at the mosque were no longer restricted.

"Thank God (the transmission of the virus) the corona has started to go down, I can do tarawih at the mosque again. So I bought prayer tools here for my family," said Yani.

He buys various kinds of worship needs at Tanah Abang Market because the prices are cheaper than in other markets.

"In Tanah Abang, the more you buy, the cheaper the price," said Yani, who at that time bought a mukena, prayer rug, and koko clothes.

Yani revealed that he was dizzy because there were so many visitors to Tanah Abang Market this time.

In a separate interview, one of the visitors from Depok, Riska, said that he deliberately came to Tanah Abang Market to buy clothes to be resold.

"I buy a lot here because the prices are cheap. I'll sell them later, I happen to have a clothing business near my house," said Riska.

Market managers increase oversight

Hery Supriyatna as the manager of Block A Tanah Abang Market said that he would increase the supervision of mugging crimes in the market area.

"Our security guards will go around to monitor the situation of the perpetrators of robbery crimes in the crowd," said Hery.

In addition to improving security, his party will also try as much as possible to ask visitors to comply with health protocols (prokes).

"Prokes, we do our best to supervise, especially the use of masks," he said.