The Hari Raya rush

At a food court at Keramat Mall, an officer patrols the area as workers hurry to prepare all of the biscuits and kuih that they need to meet the orders placed by customers ahead of the Hari Raya celebration.

Customers collect their orders from Noorlizah Salman, who has been paralysed from the waist down since she was 16 years old. Although she is wheelchair-bound, she has run a successful business for the past 10 years, supplying cookies and kuih for festive seasons.

Her husband, Hashim Mahmud, is also disabled but always pitches in to help his wife, even taking unpaid leave every Ramadan to help with the orders.

Each year, they take on temporary workers to help meet the rush of orders. These women work from 8am to 6pm, making some 20 different types of kuih and cookies.

This worker is making what is known as the Johor version of kuih sarang semut, a traditional favourite.

Elsewhere, other types of preparations are ongoing as well. Tailor Mazwan Abdullah has been making men's clothes for 25 years, and has even created baju Melayu outfits for a former minister, the late Zainuddin Maidin.

His sketches and drafts are pinned up on the wall beside the calendar which he uses to count down the days left until Hari Raya.

His shop may be small, but this year he has received some 200 orders of baju Melayu and batik shirts. He takes his last order three months before the start of Ramadan.

Siti Hartini Rasudin is also an experienced seamstress and has been making baju kurung for 27 years now. She even worked on batik shirts ordered by none other than former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad during her time at the famous Pusat Jahitan Pakaian Lelaki in Kuala Lumpur.

She and a customer go over the six sets of clothes the woman ordered ahead of Hari Raya this year.

Risnaldy Bachtiar is a songkok maker who took over the family business from his father.

He entertains a customer who is looking for a songkok to wear during this year's festivities.

Some of his stock was made by his late father, who was known for his work throughout Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Irwan Shah Mansor Din is a sandal maker who has been in the business for 15 years.

Once he has measured the sole of a slipper, he fastens it in place and sandpapers the piece to ensure a smooth surface before adding on the next few layers.

A Wahab Syamaruddin is also a veteran slipper maker, having been in the business for 37 years. His sandals are even shipped overseas, across the South China Sea.

He does careful and meticulous work, trimming each piece to the exact size before putting them all together.

The finished sandals are put on display in glass cases at the front of the shop.

Full-sized sandals go for RM65 to RM70 per pair, while children's slippers are sold at RM25 to RM35.