Synopsis
Muniandy is an independent self-made man who has raised his family through his independent grocery shop in Semenyih, Selangor. Grocery shops like Muniandy’s with their displays of fresh local produce in the front, and sundry items inside are a familiar part of the Malaysian landscape. However, these unique businesses are beginning to feel the heat as more hypermarkets and chain grocery shops flood the market. Are we now seeing the end of these traditional and more personal “mom and pop shops” run mostly by the owner-operator? Can the next generation resist the domination of big shiny corporations with equally bigger economies of scale and maintain our freedom to be our own boss if we choose to? Disebalik Runcit explores the erasure and uncertain future of these traditional businesses from the Malaysian landscape through Muniandy’s journey and the conscious choice of one consumer, Alia Ali, to patronize these independent businesses.
