KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- The Ramadan bazaars held every year are always the go-to place for Malaysians to purchase food for the breaking of fast and the excitement is being felt again, including in Sabah and Sarawak, today.

In SABAH, a total of eight bazaars were opened in Kota Kinabalu, namely at the Deasoka Intersection; Sembulan night market site; Indah Permai parking lot; Tanjung Aru parking lot; Inanam night market site; Kingfisher night market site; Inanam Point night market site; and the Dewan Damai parking lot.

Ikhwan Zulkarnain Abdul Patak, 36, who has a stall at the Ramadan bazaar at the Deasoka Intersection, said he and his family members practised the concept of ‘baraqah’ (blessings) in business, which offers a variety of rice and side dishes at low prices to visitors.

“Raw materials are very expensive now, but we think of finding ‘baraqah’ in doing business, especially during this Ramadan month. It’s true that the profit is not much, but if we sell at a low price, many people (will) buy (and we get) more profit, that is also how we can help the less fortunate,” said Ikhwan Zulkarnain, who sells rice and two side dishes for less than RM7 as well as rice and three side dishes for under RM10.

Forty-eight-year-old Abel Benwel Akop, who is a civil servant, said it’s an annual event for him and his family to visit bazaars looking for delicious and unique halal food in the state known as the Land below the Wind.

“For us in Sabah, it’s not strange for non-Muslims to look for halal food because we live in a multi-racial country. I have always liked to look for halal food since I was young because I know it is cleaner and tasty, so this bazaar is where I look for delectable and unique food every year,” he said.

However, most Bazaar Ramadan visitors and traders met by Bernama asked that all bazaar traders nationwide be honest in doing business, provide the best service and charge reasonable prices.

University student Siti Aisyah Rosdi, 24, said visitors and traders to take care of their behaviour so as not to engage in indecent acts and dress inappropriately as well as to be prudent in the use of social media.

In SARAWAK, the sunny weather condition in Kuching this evening allowed the public to visit the Ramadan bazaars to purchase food for the breaking of fast.

A Bernama survey found that the Ramadan bazaar traders in Kuching were at their sites as early as noon and members of the public began converging on the bazaars from 4 pm.

Among the much-awaited sweet treats making a re-appearance in conjunction with the fasting month and that are sold at most bazaars included kuih telaga emas, kuih bongkol, kuih takir and tapai daun apong.

According to the North Kuching City Hall (DBKU), a total of 168 Ramadan bazaar sites are available at three locations namely Satok, Semarak and Sukma Ria, while the South Kuching City Council (MBKS) provides 160 sites, including at the Stutong Commercial Centre and Stutong Community Market.

-- BERNAMA