Many still prefer red roses for Valentine’s Day

KUCHING: Red roses remain a popular gift among those celebrating Valentine’s Day.

This time around, however, the sales of flowers exhibited a decline during this day that celebrated lovers.

A survey around the city yesterday, especially over Jalan Ban Hock, Jalan Padungan and Kuching Waterfront – the usual spots where Valentine’s Day items such as flowers and gifts like plush toys would normally be on sale – found no stall had been set up.

There were a few seen along Jalan Tun Jugah, the majority of which were in front of the 101 Mall.

A salesperson said red roses, especially fresh ones, remained the most sought-after gift for Valentine’s Day, but the celebration was a bit ‘sombre’ this year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The supply of roses is very limited probably due to shortage of flowers from Cameron Highlands – it (supply) has gone down by 50 per cent, resulting in fewer people buying flowers.

“Our supplies are mostly from Cameron Highlands, but because of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Peninsular Malaysia, stocks have been very limited. Our first batch of roses sold out in the morning – we are now waiting for supplies, which should reach us by 4pm today (yesterday),” she said.

Moreover, she regarded other items such as plush toys as ‘slow selling’.

“Many buyers still prefer flowers.”

Meanwhile, those whom The Borneo Post met yesterday, accepted the situation that this year’s Valentine’s Day celebration was in.

For Lilian Stephen, a 53-year-old teacher, Valentine’s Day would always be a special day for her and her family, even though they would not be able to dine out as they had been in previous years.

Her husband and her mother are both cancer patients, and they are currently undergoing chemotherapy as out-patients at Sarawak General Hospital.

“For me, it is as special as any other day though I would have to care for my husband and my mother, who are both diagnosed with cancer. Perhaps it is more special as caring for them is love.

“In the past, my husband and I used to go to a nice restaurant for our dinner date, but due to his illness and the pandemic, this Valentine’s Day, we’re staying indoors, with me cooking for my family since cooking is my passion – my family prefers home-cooked food anyway.

“I also bought stalks of roses for each member of the family.

“Best of all were our special prayers for today (yesterday) – asking God for good health and love that will last,” said Lilian.

For 29-year-old Anastasia Kuek, a corporate research analyst, Valentine’s Day is a ‘chill day’ for her – perhaps a little bit different from the norm of dining out with her partner.

She said they decided not to have the usual fancy dinner for Valentine’s Day this year

“We are avoiding the crowd, even more so during this time of pandemic. This year, my partner and I decided to celebrate this day of love a bit differently.

“Instead of flowers and fancy dinner, we decided to start our day early for brunch at a nice local café that we had been wanting to try.

“Then we headed home to just have a relaxed day throughout, enjoy each other’s company with our two kittens, and watch shows on Netflix,” she said.

Meanwhile, Shahidan Kassim said despite being single, he viewed Valentine’s Day as ‘a day to celebrate love itself’.

The soon-to-be Bachelor of Arts (Digital Film and Television) graduate said although there were those who argued that love should be celebrated every day, he felt there was nothing wrong in dedicating a day in a year to remind oneself about the special relationship one had built.

The 26-year-old, who currently undergoes internship at a local television station, elaborated: “It’s more of a celebration of each other.

“Nevertheless, Valentine’s Day during this MCO is a challenge as some couples don’t have the privilege to see each other.

“To overcome this, any couple can do a cute little dinner over a video-call or a virtual movie night over Discord. With technology, anything is possible.”