 |
|
A Malay boy joins his father in offering prayers during Ramadan
|
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, November 8 (IslamOnline) - Malaysians has a soft spot for rice
porridge when it comes to breaking the fast in Ramadan. A recent
effort by Chief Minister Adnan Yaakob to promote a stall selling such
porridges was met with tremendous success, IslamOnline reported
Friday, November 8.
Yaakob,
Chief Minister in Pahang, a state controlled by the ruling National
Front (NF) of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, set the ball rolling
Wednesday, November 6, when he sponsored a food stall selling rice
porridge, Bernama news agency reported.
The
porridge was so popular that the pot containing the “bubur
lambuk” (the Malay word
for the porridge) got empty in a matter of 30 minutes.
“Bubur
lembuk” means “mixed porridge” in Malay, it contains rice, meat
and vegetables all mixed into one pot and made into a thick porridge
that turns the palate of Malaysians upside down, a lady buying the
porridge in Kuala Lumpur said to IslamOnline.
If
in Pahang, politics came into force to patronize the food stall
selling the most wanted porridge, in other parts of Malaysia porridges
are distributed freely at a number of mosques.
In
one particular mosque in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur the town folks
would line up for at least an hour to get hold of their share of the
popular dish.
It
is said that the mosque has been distributing the favorite Malaysian
dish to the poor in the past, but due to its popularity, the mosque
started to distribute it freely to any one who requests for it.
In
the past, village folks came in drones to Kuala Lumpur. During Ramadan
it was the practice of rich people in this region (Kampung Baru) to
send the porridge to the mosque.
“The
mosque then distributed it to people having a hard life in Kuala
Lumpur. Yet through time, the people in this region became more
comfortable and wealthy while the porridge remained popular.
“The
benefactors still send the porridge to the Mosque and the people still
lines up to get their share,” a Malay-Muslim man living in Kampung
Baru (meaning New Village) told IslamOnline.
Politicians
and ordinary folks all savor the porridges during the month of
Ramadan. It remains one of the top favorite plates for the Muslims and
is an easy dish to prepare, one house wife told IslamOnline.
A
stall selling the porridge in Masjid India has no problem emptying two
to three pots of the tasty paste during Ramadan. The owner of the
stall, an Indian Muslim, is always smiling while his wife prepares the
orders beside him.
Malay
and Indian Muslims in Malaysia break fast with dates imported from
Iran, Saudi Arabia or Iraq but they would still want a bowl of the
salty sticky substance full of beef, chicken, potatoes and other
vegetable and rice.
“Foreigners
find it difficult to swallow the porridge though most of the
Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia would never refuse a bowl of “bubur
lambuk”, a Bangladeshi worker in Masjid India said.
“It
is a life saver in Ramadan. And it is worthy to get a friend to queue
up and get our share of the “bubur”,” he said.
The
paste is sold at almost half a U.S. dollar a pack and it is incredible
to see Kuala Lumpur folks battle for the porridges at mosques or
street stalls selling the product.
It
is a very commercial product; it is nutritive and helps a lot in
Ramadan. It is the staple food for the holy month, IslamOnline was
told.
“The
bowl of porridge keeps the people going during this holy month. They
surely love the plate to the extent that it could be the plate of the
month in Malaysia,” another town dweller said.
The
rice is boiled with meat, vegetables and spices. Sometimes coconut
milk is added to it for better taste. It becomes the thick popular
paste that has captured the tongue of the Malaysians.
In
Kuantan Pahang, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) welfare
bureau and Pahang Press Club decided to sponsor the stall selling the
bubur at the Ramadan stalls along Jalan Stadium.
The
idea is to help raise money for the Tengku
Ampuan Afzan Patients Welfare Fund and the success has pleased the
participants.
|
|
Iraq:
- Text of U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq
- EU, Germany, Canada Welcome U.N. Resolution on Iraq
- U.N. Resolution Sets 2 Clocks Ticking For Iraq, Blix in Baghdad in 10 Days
- Bush, Blair Warn Iraq of Military Action If Defying U.N. Resolution
- Chirac, Powell, Annan Asked Syria to Vote For UN Iraq Resolution
- U.N. Unanimously Votes to Start Arms Inspections in Iraq
Ramadan
-
Ramadan in Kuwait Charitable
-
Tunisia Celebrates The Year’s
Holiest Month
-
Ramadan In Palestine: Tragedies,
Suffering and Poverty
-
Ramadan Holds A Special Significance for Indian Muslims
-
Ramadan’s Economic
Activities in Pakistan
- Brussels Denies Turkish Membership Would Spell "End" of EU
- China's Jiang Signals Retirement, Glorifies Achievements
- Morocco's King Names New Coalition, Islamic Party In Opposition
- Rice Porridge A Favorite Ramadan Dish for Malaysians
- Pakistani Court Restrains Extradition of Bin Laden-Linked Surgeon
- Contradicting Reports About Bali Suspect, Investigations Still On
- Fresh Riots in Gujarat, Seven Injured
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
