KUALA LUMPUR: One of the things that canteen operator and cook, Raja Sarah Zariah, 31, misses is watching students tucking into her piping hot nasi lemak that she prepares fresh daily.
Since the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March, Raja Sarah, who operates a stall in SMK Tun Habab in Kota Tinggi, Johor, said she had been staying at home without any income.
Previously a homemaker, Raja Sarah only began working at the school's canteen a year ago. Now that schools nationwide are set to open for students taking public examinations, she is eager to get back behind the counter and start cooking.
"I miss all the good times of waking up early every morning and preparing food for the students. Although it can be tiring at times, I enjoy the work very much. I also love watching the smiles on the students' faces as they eat the food I've prepared."
Her day begins at 4.30am, when she starts preparing the ingredients before turning them into her signature nasi lemak with fried chicken, a favourite among students.
The Johorian said the school's canteen operators had come together to clean up the place, following many months of inactivity.
All food and drinks will be packed according to the new standard operating procedures (SOPs). Raja Sarah now has to allocate some time to pack the food in between cooking the meals.
She said the school had also rearranged the tables in accordance to the social distancing SOPs.
"We've done about 80 per cent of the preparation. There are just a few minor issues, which will be ironed out soon. I am told that the school's recess time will be divided into two or three times a day. Each break is about 30 minutes long."
Shalat Md Arif, 33, a canteen operator at SMK Petaling in Old Klang Road here said he was also eager to return to his job soon. With schools being closed, he had resorted to selling his homemade traditional Malay kuih.
"Business was so-so in the beginning before it picked up during Ramadan. And now business is back on the slow side. I can't wait to go back to selling food at the canteen again."
Previously, Arif and his family handled a stall in SMK Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, but when their contract expired, they moved their business to the current school.
It has been two years since they began selling food at SMK Petaling. Some of the food he sells are rice with dishes and fried noodles.
As a canteen operator, Arif said he would follow all the SOPs and guidelines set by the education and the health ministries.
However, he said so far he had yet to receive any schedule for the opening by the school.
"My family and I are ready to head back to the school to make the necessary preparations such as giving it a thorough cleaning."
For private school canteen operator Chris Chin Yau Leong, 41, who operates two stalls in Tenby School in Setia Alam and Wesley Methodist KL, the latter of which is a secondary school, he is equally happy and excited to be back in operation.
"My staff and I are so excited to be back in the business after such a long break. We will be running at full capacity when the schools are opened on June 24 with all the SOPs in place."
Chin says he misses the students crowding his stall as well as the interaction and the banter between the staff and pupils.
"We have been operating in the same school for years and we know the staff and students by name. We are even friends with some of the parents."
Since all canteen operators need to pack their food, Chin said that it would be an extra cost for him to bear.
"Our margins are low to begin with, coupled with high cost of raw ingredients, dairy products, among others. Not to mention that my staff will have to put in extra hours."
He has learnt that in the beginning, some students will bring their own food due to safety reason.
He understands that this is all part of the new normal.
"Even the SOPs are very new to us, but it's a matter of getting used to it," he said.