The Rise and Tide of the Minangkabau Traditional Trading in Kuala Lumpur: A Preliminary Research

Abstract

This article is discussing on how the rise and tide of Minangkabau traditional trading occur in Kuala Lumpur. The research focused on four areas in Kuala Lumpur, Chow Kit, Kampung Baru, Kampung Dato’ Keramat and Mesjid India area, reveals that there are some small stalls of Minangkabau  traditional trading are now owned by another Indonesian ethnicity such as Acehenese and Boyanese tribe. Meanwhile, some of the businesses are still possessed by Minangkabau tribe such as Nasi Padang and textile trading. The phenomenon is affected by the lack of business innovation, capital, local competitor and the fact that they are unable to follow the trend in business. Even though,  there are some of well-developed traditional business run by Minangkabau people in Kuala Lumpur due to the existence of marketing creativity, innovative items, and the conducive partnership with another Minangkabau entrepreneurs in the textile merchant  in form of kiosk or  arcade in Mesjid India area that has connection with another counterpart of the  nationwide  including Sabah and Sarawak.