Vendor gives buns to migrant workers after trade show cancelled
A Singaporean vendor, who found himself with over 1,000 burger buns after a trade show was cancelled at the last minute, decided to distribute them to migrant workers.
Mr Muhamad Iqbal Abdul Razak, also known as Danny One Star on TikTok, was among over 150 Singaporean and Malaysian vendors affected by the cancellation of Trifecta Fest, a trade show that was supposed to be held at Singapore Expo from July 12 to 14.
The event was cancelled due to licensing and financial issues faced by its organiser, Enigma Collective.
This was supposed to be Mr Muhamad Iqbal's first time participating in a trade show.
He told Berita Harian he had invested about $12,000 for ingredients, rental, wages, and transportation for his business.
"I had planned to do a live broadcast on TikTok for my followers to promote my Berserak Burger business," the 36-year-old said. "Unfortunately, the event was cancelled."
He added: "I had already prepared around 160 kilograms of beef and about 50 kilograms of chicken for Berserak Burger, but I had to find a place to freeze the meat.
"I asked a friend who could provide freezer space so I could save the ingredients but burger buns can't be stored for long. So, I decided to distribute them to migrant workers."
Mr Muhamad Iqbal, who had 32,000 followers on TikTok, posted a video showing him giving the buns to the workers.
@danny_one_star It was my 1st event and things took a turn unexpectedly.. Yes, I did suffer financially, but I gained the love from all of u.. Doakan Danny ok..! 😉 Thank you everyone..! Hi Syg 🫰, Danny OneStar.. #HiSyg #DannyOneStar #halalfoodsg #contentcreator #singaporetiktokers🇸🇬 #singaporetiktok #trending #trendingvideo #fypsg #anakmelayu #kitasupportkita #BerserakBurger #SingporeExpo ♬ original sound - danny_one_star
He runs the business with his wife Ms Siti Hafifah Senin, 32. They also participated in Ramadan bazaars in 2023 with the support of an investor.
On the latest developments of the Trifecta Fest saga, the event's marketing partner, Mr Mohamad Hussin Said, said he was in talks with Enigma Collective to recover the deposits of affected vendors.
"Enigma Collective explained that they are in talks with Singapore Expo to get the deposits back and return them to the vendors," he said.
"However, they will be charged a penalty because the event was cancelled. They are now working to resolve this situation and hope to settle it by early September."
Mr Muhammad Iqbal, on the other hand, sees the incident as a lesson for his future events.
"When I found out the event was cancelled, my heart said, this is not my luck," he said.
"There are still other opportunities and this is my way of learning the ropes of events like this so I can be more prepared in the future."
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