Food & Religion
Ramadan bazaar draws the tourists
The Muslim fasting month is more than a spiritual experience
By Oliver Majaham
This year’s Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, has come in summer. Tourists, particularly those from America, Europe and Japan have been making a beeline to Ramadan bazaars that sell all kinds of spicy exotic Malaysian food for the breaking of the fast from dawn to dusk. “It’s a lovely place, lovely people and great food,” said Camilla Saaboell, 29, of Denmark.
Camilla and her friend Mie Kjaer, 32, were pleasantly surprised when deputy chief minister Yahya Hussin served from bubur lambuk (rice porridge) at the Ramadan bazaar of the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) at Asia City in Kota Kinabalu on August 13.
“The bazaars have become a tourist attraction,” said Yahya, who is also minister of agriculture and food industry. “It is also a true reflection of the 1Malaysia concept of unity.”
Saaboell and Kjaer were fascinated by the 194 multi-ethnic food hawkers who offered such a wide variety of dishes and local fruit that they were spoilt for choice.
“This is fascinating,” said Miel, who marvelled at how Malaysians work and live with one another in peace and harmony. “The culture here is very different. We don’t have this in our country.”
Fasting teaches Muslims to be patient, tolerant, humble and loving. And this goes well with prime minister Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia.
There are more stalls at Asia City than last year’s 187. There are 1,180 hawkers at 23 Ramadan bazaars throughout Sabah this year against last year’s 956 food stalls in 21 bazaars.
A new bazaar has opened at Wisma Wanita where Mohamed Ezami Sukardi, 28, one of the hawkers, sells food such as “tomato chicken rice” for between two and six ringgit (60 cents and $1.80). He makes about 400 ringgit a day, he says.
Jituin Sulin, 57, who isn’t a Muslim, sells local fruit such as rambutan, mangosteen and bananas. “I don’t sell cooked food or drinks as I don’t want to offend the Muslim’s sensitivity to food which might not be suitable to them.”
Sulin says she can make 350 ringgit a day selling fruit. She pays a month’s rent of 130 ringgit for her stall.
Azizah Dun, minister of community development and consumer affairs, advises women to go into business during Ramadan. “Of course, men are always welcome to set up stalls here,” she says. “We are not bias towards them.” – Insight Sabah
(Reporting by Wati Samsiar and Jenney Juanis. Pictures by Liaw Sin Kuang, Flanegan Bainon and Oliver Majaham)
Posted on August 21, 2010
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