IPOH, May 5 — A part-time job generally means that the flow of income is not stable.

More so when there is a movement control order (MCO) in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This led to a group of friends starting a purchasing and delivery service to keep afloat during these tough times.

Led by Siti Hajar Mohd Salleh, the group takes in orders via a Facebook page and purchases are made after the payment was banked in.

Siti said she got the idea to offer the services after one of her friends got retrenched by his company.

"Coincidentally, the government announced that MCO would be enforced and the people are not allowed to move about freely so I thought why not offer a purchasing and delivery service for the people and at the same time my friend will have a job,” she told Malay Mail.

Siti later roped in two other friends and the group of four started offering their services on March 18 (the first day of MCO), using their cars.

Customers are given receipts as proof of purchase. — Picture courtesy of Siti Hajar Mohd Salleh

Explaining the mechanics behind the services, Siti, 32, said customers would send them a list of groceries they wanted via the Facebook page.

"We will buy the items after the money is banked in,” she said, adding that the group charges between RM30 and RM40 for their services.

"For purchases that are below RM100, we charge a flat rate of RM30 while purchases that are above RM100, the rate is RM40,” she added, noting that the service charge would be taken by the person who fulfills the order.

Asked what happens when there was a difference in the purchase price, Siti, who works as a part-time reporter with a news agency, said customers would top-up when the items are delivered to them.

On the steep service charge, Siti said it was justifiable as deliveries were done using cars.

Siti Hajar Mohd Salleh says customers who use her Groceries-Go services are not confined by space. — Picture courtesy of Siti Hajar Mohd Salleh

"Customers can purchase as much as they want. They will not be restricted by space,” she said.

One of the group members Mohamad Tarmize Mohd Nor said he decided to join Siti to supplement his income as a Grab driver.

"At the start of MCO I could get more orders but now the orders have slowed down a bit. Maybe it’s because the government has given the people more leeway to move about,” he said.

Tarmize, 32, added that most of his orders came from people who reside outside of Ipoh and wanted to purchase groceries for their parents here.

He said aside from dry goods, they would also buy items from the wet market.

"For instance, recently I got an order from a customer who wanted to cook laksa so I got the customer laksa noodles and fish from the market,” he said, adding that the group would even buy non-halal food except for alcohol.

Another group member Syafiq Akhir, 28, said he joined Siti as he liked to shop.

Save yourself having to queue up to purchase your groceries. Let runners do the queuing for you. — Picture courtesy of Mohamad Tarmize Mohd Nor

"At the same time, I can help people who are affected by MCO,” said the part-time reporter with a television station.

Syafiq added that to ensure customer satisfaction, he would go to great lengths to make sure items requested by customers were obtained.

"I have been to at least five shops just to get one item requested by the customer,” he said.

Former graphic designer Abdul Raqib Abdul Afif decided to become a freelance delivery person last December as there were not many opportunities in graphic design.

"Initially I offered my services as cash on delivery but after several incidences where the person who ordered the items sent me to locations that were none existent, I now offer my services to people who had paid up,” said the 30-year-old from Chemor, who offers his service using a motorcycle.

Aside from providing grocery shopping, Abdul Raqib also offers his services as a runner to renew documents at the government departments.

"While I charge a maximum of RM8 for grocery shopping, I charge RM20 per document as a runner,” he said, adding that his services cover up to 30km radius around Ipoh.

Those wanting Abdul Raqib"s services can contact him at 019-5504057.