EP05 – Ramadan bazaars: Tradition, trends and heartwarming stories | Life & the City - video Dailymotion

The Star

THE scent of sizzling murtabak, the excitement of what a myriad of food stalls have to offer, and the sweet promise of tepung pelita melting in your mouth. Join Life & The City podcast hosts Aida Ahmad and Farid Wahab for another episode as they unpack the tradition and sensory experience of Ramadan bazaars with StarTV's Shahrul Nazrin. Exploring the delicious chaos, they ask the questions; are the prices worth it? What's behind the viral food trends?, before reflecting on the bigger meaning of Ramadan bazaars and their role in promoting racial unity. Get ready for funny anecdotes and heartwarming stories on this much-anticipated annual tradition. The podcast series airs fortnightly and highlights topics related to urbanites. It is available at www.youtube.com/@thestaronline/podcasts and on www.thestar.com.my/metro  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00Aida, how often do you go to Ramadan Bazaars?

00:07I feel over the years the occurrence has reduced a lot because price of food is getting expensive

00:16now for it.

00:17I mean, with raw ingredients and dishes in general, Ramadan Bazaars don't have what we

00:25consider cheap food anymore.

00:26What do you think?

00:27Well, I do notice the things you've said about the price increasing, but I will say that

00:33I mean, for the past few years, I have been going to Ramadan Bazaars almost daily without

00:39fail.

00:40I just can't help myself.

00:41But anyway, having said that, this is what we're going to talk about on our podcast today.

00:48And we have our guest today, Shahrul Nazrin.

00:52He is our Star TV videographer.

00:55Normally he's the one behind the camera.

00:56Yes, but he's in front of the camera now.

00:58He's agreed to be in front of the camera today to help us unpack this topic, Ramadan Bazaars.

01:05Yeah.

01:06Thank you, Shahrul.

01:09For willing to be our guest.

01:10Thank you for having me.

01:11It's a light and easy topic today.

01:12And before we get to this discussion, I would like to just share what our top stories are

01:19on Star Online and Metro.

01:22As usual, Farid, unfortunately, people are still falling to scams, trading scams, investment

01:29scams.

01:30These are still happening in spite of a lot of news that appears every day.

01:39This is really unfortunate that people are still becoming victims to these scams.

01:45And while we're on the subject of Ramadan Bazaars, people in Klang Valley, if you are

01:50familiar with the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, SIC, which is known for holding motorsport

01:56events, is now one of the venues for Ramadan Bazaars.

02:00I went there yesterday.

02:01And what do you think?

02:04It was nice.

02:05There was a lot of food.

02:07As usual.

02:08Yes.

02:09All right.

02:10Did you buy anything from there?

02:11I did.

02:12I bought...

02:13Let's see.

02:14What did I buy?

02:15Kuih badak berendam.

02:16Do you know that thing in a santan?

02:18Yeah.

02:20I bought kuih deram, they call it.

02:21I believe it's called kuih deram, the black little thingy.

02:24So yes, yes, yes.

02:27I went there with my family, so yeah.

02:30Good.

02:31Cheryl.

02:32Yeah.

02:33Do you have a particular favourite Ramadan Bazaar location?

02:38I think the one near by my house, I'm staying at Puncak Alam.

02:42So I think the furthest I will go, Bazaar Syak Alam, the stadium one.

02:47I see.

02:48Is that very far away from your home?

02:50I think around 30 minutes without traffic.

02:53Okay.

02:54I can imagine with traffic.

02:55With traffic, just imagine.

02:56That's going to take a while.

02:57Share with us, Cheryl, what do you think Ramadan...

03:02What makes Ramadan Bazaar such a special part of Malaysian culture?

03:06I mean, for me, it's really special because everyone, you can see everyone there is a

03:12Malay, Chinese, Indian, sometimes especially in KL, tourists.

03:18We are hit or miss at Bazaar Ramadan.

03:22We play a game there.

03:25Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad.

03:26It's good we celebrate together, it's bad we suffer together.

03:29So I think Ramadan Bazaar is a special occasion, like it's once a year.

03:37So I think, yeah, it's special.

03:38I agree.

03:39What do you think?

03:40Yes.

03:41I think also every year, the media tend to make a big deal about it because it is a big

03:45deal, you know.

03:47A lot of planning goes into Ramadan Bazaar.

03:49We know it's time to report a lot about planning by local councils, how much money goes into

03:56it.

03:57How many lots.

03:58How many lots.

03:59How much enforcement actions have to go into it.

04:00So once it takes place, it takes place nationwide.

04:03This is not your regular Pasar Malam.

04:05So it is something that people would, you know, throng in the evening.

04:10So it is a big deal.

04:11So yeah.

04:12And I don't know whether you guys would agree, but there is a certain camaraderie that happens

04:21when you visit Ramadan Bazaar.

04:23It's just the energy in the air where people are happy after work, going to find their

04:29favorite food to breakfast in the evening, right?

04:33There's a certain exuberance when you go to Ramadan Bazaar, especially the bigger ones,

04:40right?

04:41Yeah.

04:42So let's get to the question of how Ramadan Bazaar has evolved over the years in terms

04:47of size, variety and atmosphere.

04:50What do you think, Cheryl?

04:52I think it evolved a lot.

04:55I mean, like when I'm staying in Kedah, this is where you're from.

04:59I'm from Kedah.

05:00Which part of Kedah?

05:01Pekosna.

05:02Okay.

05:03Very small town.

05:04I mean, like in my kampung, it's very hard to find like ayam penyek and nasi kerabu.

05:10It's all Kedah's dish.

05:12But then nowadays, you can see people doing tacos, takoyaki, I mean, it evolved a lot

05:20with food hegemony come around the world, right?

05:24So I think, yeah, it's very, very, very fast-paced, I mean.

05:28I remember as a kid in Penang, since we're both, both of us are northerners, I remember

05:37my father would, my late father would go to the Ramadan Bazaar and at that time, I'm

05:43talking like in the 80s to the 90s, right?

05:49It wasn't as big as what we see now.

05:51We didn't have that much variety.

05:54And my favorite was always the bubo lambok and in Penang, among the Indian Muslim community,

06:02there was a special apam, right?

06:05Especially during Ramadan.

06:08So those are the two things I always look forward to and oh, this roti canai banjir

06:16with the curry.

06:17That was so good.

06:19My goodness.

06:20Now I'm thinking about it.

06:21It's really...

06:22It's the early wartime.

06:23Really, I mean, this stall is actually very close by to my parents' kampung in Georgetown.

06:31I think the stall is still there.

06:33It's that famous roti canai stall with, you know, drenched with all the mixture of curries,

06:38right?

06:39So, okay.

06:40Three of my favorite things.

06:41What about you, Farid?

06:43Well, okay.

06:44I go to Ramadan Bazaar almost every day.

06:46You're from KL, right?

06:47Born and raised.

06:48Yeah.

06:49But I've been to a lot of Bazaars in PJ, Sepang, Putrajaya, lots, lots, lots of Bazaars.

06:55Even this year, I've been to plenty of Bazaars.

06:57But I always buy the same thing.

06:59I always look for either ayam bakar, ayam golek, or ayam percik.

07:03That's a must-have for me because I need to have my protein.

07:06And then I'll probably get one type of kuih and that would be enough for me.

07:11It seems like a lot of work to go through all that traffic just to buy two or three

07:15things.

07:16But it's just, I don't know, I just like to be in the thick of it all, even though I always

07:21ended up buying the same thing.

07:24But it is what it is, I suppose.

07:26I like what I like.

07:27And where did you get the energy to drive all the way to Bazaar?

07:30Ah, okay.

07:32So my mom lives in Saberjaya, so sometimes on my off days, I would go there.

07:37So it's Saberjaya, Putrajaya, not that far.

07:40I've been to Sepang, also not very far.

07:44Our office is in PJ, so when I'm having my buka puasa in the office, I go to the ones

07:49in PJ or the TTI.

07:51I live somewhere in Setiawangsa, which is near to LRT station, so there are plenty of

07:56Ramadan bazaars along the LRT line there, yes.

07:59So I have plenty of choices, but every day I end up buying the same thing.

08:03So I get to compare, you know, this bazaar, that bazaar, the same thing.

08:07Every now and then I'll probably get some more tabak.

08:10Let's talk about the meme, did you create this meme, Farid?

08:16Kalau tak sedap, jangan meniaga.

08:19I did not create this meme, I did not.

08:21But it has been going viral for the past few years, you know, people say,

08:24Kalau tak pandai meniaga, kalau tak sedap, jangan meniaga.

08:27What do you think?

08:28I think this rings true now, especially in the last few years.

08:34And what you mentioned before, Farid, about how local councils carry out strict enforcement.

08:39It's a whole ecosystem when it comes to Ramadan bazaars.

08:42It's not just setting up a stall, selling your food and calling it a day.

08:47No, it's assigning the lots, you know, they draw the ballots, right?

08:52And then they have to go through all the prerequisites before they open the stall,

08:58which they have to go through the health aspects of it.

09:03They have to get their typhoid jabs, right?

09:06Ensure cleanliness, ensure the food is edible, nothing is spoiled.

09:10And then I think we've written a few stories over the years about how they cannot open their stall

09:16too early in the afternoon because it's hot, right?

09:19The food will spoil, they have to ensure that the food doesn't go basi, you know, off-scale.

09:28So food hygiene and safety is really important when it comes to selling food at Ramadan bazaars.

09:37Because, I mean, we can admit that in the afternoon, the sun is blazing.

09:42If you're selling food that has ingredients like coconut milk, right?

09:49It tends to go stale and spoil.

09:51So that's a dangerous thing because we've even reported a lot of food poisoning cases, right?

09:59But again, that's not only centred in Ramadan bazaars.

10:02If you sell food anywhere, you have to ensure that it's edible and doesn't spoil.

10:08But this whole, kalau tak sedap, jangan berniaga is...

10:12It's 100% true, it's funny because it's true.

10:15Yeah, I think it's the whole...

10:21When food is prepared, obviously the traders cannot taste the food, right?

10:28Because they're fasting.

10:29But some really have just not been good.

10:37I don't know.

10:38I mean, I get the idea but sedap tak sedap is a subjective matter.

10:43What's tasty to you might not be tasty to others.

10:46You may prefer something saltier, others may prefer something sweeter.

10:50So you can't really say...

10:52I guess it's, you know, you have to try it.

10:55If you like it, you'll come again.

10:57If you don't, then that's probably the last time you'll ever buy it.

11:00Maybe Shahrul has some experience buying foods that he did not find that delectable.

11:04I mean, this meme is totally true because you cannot just throw a few ingredients and then poof!

11:13Oh, I want to sell at Bazaar Ramadan.

11:15I know it's not a rocket sign but I mean, the food sometimes you taste, it's not too salty, it's not too sweet.

11:22That's not the problem because that is our own preference, it's different.

11:27But sometimes the food just tastes sad.

11:30Yeah, sad.

11:31You know, it's like the food is crying, it's food begging for...

11:35So yeah.

11:36That is true, I agree.

11:37I know you try to make some money by selling at Bazaar Ramadan.

11:42We know that but if you don't know how to...

11:46I mean, if it's not delicious, don't beg, maybe you can sell something else.

11:49T-shirt or...

11:50You cannot mess up t-shirt, right?

11:52Unless you forgot to make a hole on the neck.

11:56Hilarious.

11:57Bazaar Ramadan is not the career for you.

11:59Yeah, yeah.

12:00I agree because a lot of times, not sometimes, a lot of times the food,

12:05what is seen on the promotional bantings or the banners is not what you pay for, right?

12:14I have actually a couple of stories to share but I'll just share one.

12:20We've done reviews on Ramadan bazaars over the years, Farid.

12:23I remember going to one, I shall not name the bazaar because we want to just remain neutral here.

12:33When they advertise, for example, Roti John, right, now it's getting very expensive.

12:44I used, you know, I think before we could get your basic Roti John for five, six ringgit.

12:53Now it starts at ten and goes up to eighteen ringgit.

12:58So just last week, I went to a particular bazaar in Selangor which sold chicken and beef Roti Johns

13:10and it started at ten all the way up to eighteen ringgit.

13:13And so I asked the seller, why is it so expensive?

13:17And she said because it's the largest size.

13:20So instead of the standard six inch, it's the footlong Roti John.

13:25Okay, so when I saw the way they were grilling, it looked appetizing, right?

13:29And took it home and I realized the meat was just microscopic.

13:36It's just speckles of meat and I thought, wow, this is pricey, right?

13:42And the other one last year, it was a Rendang Mutabak.

13:49Rendang Mutabak?

13:50Yeah.

13:51You don't come across Rendang Mutabak often.

13:53So I was curious, so I decided to buy it.

13:57And how disappointed I was to take it home and realize there was no flavor of Rendang whatsoever.

14:06So I felt cheated.

14:08Really, there was no flavor of Rendang.

14:09What is Rendang, guys?

14:10Rendang is your distinctive kerisik and the sambal to make, the tumis.

14:19There was nothing, there was no speck of Rendang at all.

14:23So I feel that traders, if they're not selling what they claim to be selling,

14:30then you're cheating the customers, I feel.

14:32What do you guys think?

14:33Yeah, people money at the stake.

14:35I mean, could you do that?

14:38It's Ramadan.

14:40Yeah, not only that, it's just, yeah, I don't feel it's right to cheat your customers.

14:46Yes.

14:47Have any of you guys encountered a similar experience?

14:51I mean, like for me, it's the same thing with you, it's Roti John.

14:55I don't know why, you can find Roti John in Pasar Malam.

14:59Yeah.

14:59But when it's Ramadan, it's like, wow, Roti John.

15:03Exactly, it's like Roti John just employed his own PR company.

15:07Yeah.

15:09Yeah, it's like a must-have, like every bazaar would have it, yeah.

15:13They put on banner like chicken, like chicken, what, meat and mutton or what.

15:20But we just got the strain of DNA of chicken, strain DNA of meat.

15:25I mean, basically, I just taste egg most of the time.

15:29Yeah.

15:29Egg and sauce, right?

15:30Yeah, so often we feel gypped and you pay quite a lot now.

15:35Well, to be fair, I mean, I can't really say because I'm not really a fan of Roti John,

15:39but apparently a lot of people are, so I'll take your word at it.

15:44Anyway, I want to add something to what you said just now about price increasing.

15:51My mum sells tepung pelita, but she doesn't operate a Ramadan bazaar.

15:54I love tepung pelita.

15:55Yeah, she doesn't operate a Ramadan bazaar.

15:58I mean, when people order, she sends the kuih to the people's houses.

16:03So, the past two, three years, she has been complaining about the price increasing

16:08and she also sells curry puffs.

16:10So, she thought about not doing business this year because she thought it's impossible.

16:17And she did tell me that she feels bad about having to increase the price.

16:22She said that, I don't want to increase the price because I feel bad for the people buying.

16:27And what I told her was that, so this is the other side of the story.

16:30People always complain about traders.

16:32So, this is a trader telling me, you know, my mum telling me how she feels bad about increasing the price.

16:37Then I told her, then, you know, you're just a baker.

16:39You're not a trader.

16:42You're not cut out for this.

16:43But she keeps making more kuih now.

16:45And so, she said that, you know, my mum is a bit particular about what types of santan she uses.

16:52She always wants to go for the premium one.

16:54That sounds lovely.

16:55Yeah, yeah.

16:56And so, she feels bad about increasing the price.

16:59Then I told her, well, what you need to do is that you need to be upfront about your price.

17:04If people want to buy, you tell them, this is the price I'm selling it for.

17:08So, people don't feel cheated.

17:11Because sometimes people buy it first.

17:13They say, I want 50 tepung peter.

17:15And then once you send the kuih and then you name the price, that's when the facial expressions change.

17:21So, I said, you need to be upfront.

17:23And I think we have that rule in our country.

17:25I think, or at least, you know, a lot of Ramadan bazaars, I think they are required to declare their price.

17:31I think.

17:32I need to check that again.

17:33But you need to declare the price of your items so that when people buy, they know what they're getting.

17:38You can't hand the food, okay, it's RM50.

17:41Then it'll be like, okay.

17:43Yeah, that's true.

17:44I think that's happened a lot.

17:45That has, that's true.

17:48But we can dive into social media and how it has changed the way traders approach business to meet the customer's experience.

17:59I have a story.

18:00While I'm not big on TikTok, but I know TikTok now and Instagram reels are just the engine, right?

18:08And to promote products, food products at Ramadan bazaar.

18:13So, a good friend of mine shared this video on TikTok about this trader.

18:20I can't remember now whether it was in Penang or Kedah.

18:25Selling Roti John for RM70.

18:27RM70.

18:29RM70?

18:29Yeah, RM70, right?

18:31So, I looked at the video and the trader admitted they were selling to the T20 community.

18:42Really.

18:43So, I looked at the video and, you know, they're showing how the Roti John is assembled.

18:48You know, the fancy box.

18:50And their USP was the pulled meat, the shredded meat.

18:56Oh, pulled meat.

18:57Yeah.

18:58And, you know, sometimes what you see on social media is not what you get when you go there to buy, right?

19:06So, I don't know.

19:07I was shocked.

19:07RM70 for Roti John.

19:10So, did they specifically say this is for the T20?

19:14Yeah.

19:15The trader specifically?

19:16Yeah.

19:17Oh, they should rename it to Roti John Mahakaya.

19:20Roti John Kayangan.

19:22Don't forget the black glove.

19:25So, this one had the charcoal bun.

19:29But, you know, those charcoal buns, they don't really give out any special flavour.

19:34But I feel all this is gimmick.

19:37And whoever pays RM70 for Roti John, well, each to their own.

19:44Their target market.

19:46Yeah.

19:47Amir, yes, Farid, what are you going to say?

19:51I'm speechless today.

19:52I mean, RM70, maybe there's gold.

19:55There's like, you know, like specks of gold inside that Roti John.

19:57I don't know.

19:59But anyway, I want to bring attention back to what Shahrul just said just now.

20:03He did mention about tako and takoyaki in your hometown, Pokok Sener?

20:09Yeah, Pokok Sener.

20:10Pokok Sener.

20:10Okay, is that the one near Kuala Nerang?

20:12I think it is.

20:13Yes, yes.

20:14So, it's very near rural.

20:16I've been there.

20:16Finally.

20:18I do know where that is.

20:19But anyway, a friend of mine, a colleague, in fact, she's Indian and she likes going

20:25to Ramadan bazaars.

20:26She told me this recently.

20:27She said, I like going to Ramadan bazaar because in the past, that was where you could get

20:33traditional dishes, you know, dishes that you wouldn't normally get outside of Ramadan.

20:37But nowadays, she says that a lot of traders are beginning to sell more contemporary foods.

20:43Yeah.

20:43Things like takoyaki, tako, like what Shahrul mentioned.

20:46Pasta, pizza.

20:47Yes, yes.

20:48So, I want to know what do you guys think about that?

20:51Do you think that's a good thing or do you think it's something that you don't like?

20:54Because my colleague said she doesn't like it.

20:56How about you guys?

20:57What do you think?

20:57For me, personally, it has to be balanced because certain like Shah Alam or Puchat Alam,

21:06you barely can find traditional food because nowadays, all people go to like, like you

21:12say, it's a new modern food.

21:16Like, for example, I mean, like a few years back in Kedah, when you can, when you go to

21:27bazaar Ramadan, you can find all kind of traditional kuih.

21:30Nowadays, you just see like standard kuih like karipap, sri muka, tepok pliter.

21:38Beside that, it's really hard to find like kasui.

21:42Not every bazaar Ramadan has kasui.

21:45But you can find a lot of these in your own hometown, right?

21:50And among others as well.

21:52I think we're spoiled for choice.

21:53Even in the rural areas like Pokok Sena, right?

21:57So, I think with social media, we're getting a lot of variety now, right?

22:04Totally agree with that.

22:05Yeah.

22:07I think a lot of videos nowadays, I've seen a couple of videos showing people selling

22:11ai balang.

22:12And they have been, I mean, the reaction has been pretty mixed, you know, them showing

22:17how much creamer or sweetened milk they pour into the containers.

22:24So, some people are saying, oh, that's bad for you.

22:26For you, you know, you get diabetes.

22:28Some people are saying, and that's a once in a while kind of treat.

22:31Each to his own.

22:32Each to his own.

22:33Willing buyer, willing seller.

22:34A willing seller, willing buyer.

22:36Yeah, I'm not gonna judge.

22:37But if that's what you like, go for it.

22:40It's your money after all.

22:41But just be careful.

22:42Eat healthy.

22:43Not too much sugar, please.

22:45That's true.

22:47What we spoke about earlier about things getting pricier at Ramadan bazaars.

22:55What factors do you think contribute to this?

22:57One of it, I feel, is the rising cost of your groceries, right?

23:04And because of this, like what you said about your mom as a baker, Farid, I cook as well.

23:12But I won't feel right selling my food in a stall or, you know, doing it as a business

23:19because it's getting expensive.

23:22And I would have to charge a lot because I like to use good quality ingredients.

23:28I would have to charge a lot.

23:29And yes, I will feel bad charging people.

23:33That sum of money, although the food will be good and tasty.

23:37But yes, things are getting really expensive now.

23:39So it's hard.

23:41There was a report by a Malay daily a few days ago about a trader in Kuala Terengganu

23:47who sells over 100 types of ayam balang, but she apparently makes RM7,000 a day.

23:56A day?

23:57I'm not sure if that's net profit or just her rough income for the day.

24:03But the comments were pretty mixed.

24:07Some people say, well, if you can make this much money, then surely you can price your

24:12drinks cheaper.

24:13But maybe because my mom is a trader as well.

24:16So I can see that.

24:19I know that my mom, you know, she wakes up very early in the morning to prepare.

24:22Sometimes she doesn't sleep.

24:24You know, she only sleeps after sahur to prepare everything.

24:27So I think that sometimes we have to keep in mind that when you sell, when as a trader,

24:34it's not just the ingredients that they are pricing.

24:36They are also pricing their efforts and their time.

24:39True.

24:39And that has to go into the labor cost.

24:43Yes.

24:44Service charge.

24:46And it's not just one person.

24:48You have your staff or your helper.

24:50So you have to pay them as well.

24:51But the other thing is, guys, I feel that as traders, they should be upfront as to what

25:01are they selling.

25:02For example, I remember, I don't know whether you remember this, Farid.

25:05Was it last year or a year before?

25:07There was this thing that went viral on social media about this stall.

25:15I think it was in TTDI.

25:16They were selling this pasta cooked in a parmesan wheel, right?

25:24And I think, if I'm not mistaken, they claim that the cheese that, you know, the rind that

25:32they cook the pasta in was real parmesan.

25:36Now, we have to consider the fact that parmesan is very expensive and they are fakes.

25:43And if you go on YouTube, you can watch some documentaries about how the authenticity of

25:49the real parmesan cheese from Italy.

25:52It has the markings on the rind, you know, when they age the cheese.

25:57So if you don't see the markings on the rind, it's not real parmesan cheese, right?

26:03Obviously, they were selling it really expensive.

26:05So I feel traders need to be responsible for what they claim to sell than what it actually

26:13is, right?

26:14Because like what it boils down to, it's a lot of money.

26:18And yeah, I feel cheating customers is not right.

26:23Going to bazaar used to be like impromptu things, right?

26:26Yeah.

26:27I mean, like, sorry, I mean, previously going to bazaar is mostly like impromptu things,

26:33right?

26:33Correct.

26:34I think, oh, feeling like going to bazaar today.

26:36What are you going to buy?

26:37We see first.

26:38If anything interesting, we just buy.

26:40But nowadays, you got to plan everything.

26:43You got to have strategy.

26:45Check your wallet first, then go buy.

26:47Before you left, check your wallet again.

26:49Is there still money left?

26:50Okay, still have.

26:52I mean, yeah, it's a bit expensive.

26:54I used to think because of tapak bazaar, it's not right.

26:58I'm not sure.

26:59I don't think they pay a lot for renting the store, right?

27:04I am not sure.

27:05Because a lot of, sometimes they go through an association.

27:09Yeah.

27:10But I know some of them go straight to the local authorities.

27:14So I think the price differs from side to side.

27:17Yeah, in the different districts or cities, right?

27:20Yeah.

27:21Cheryl, you mentioned strategies.

27:23Okay.

27:24I have a couple of questions on that.

27:26Who do you normally go with?

27:27And then what strategies are those?

27:29Normally, I just go alone.

27:31Because my wife said it's too tedious to walk.

27:35So I just go alone.

27:36And then I plan how many ringgit I'm going to spend that day.

27:43Wish food.

27:44And then straight away go.

27:46Then you have to just lock on your target.

27:48Your budget.

27:49Yeah.

27:49Do you go over your budget?

27:51Because, you know.

27:52It's always.

27:53Because mata rambang, kan?

27:55Because everything you see, you want to buy.

27:57Everything looks delicious.

27:58You know, like ais balang.

28:00When you walk right in front of his stall.

28:02And then suddenly, krak, krak, krak.

28:04Oh my god.

28:05Then I buy.

28:06What do they call it?

28:07The ASMR?

28:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.

28:09So normally, what's your cap?

28:11I mean, the cap for your spending.

28:13And also what kind of food, kinds of food do you normally get?

28:16I would say below 50.

28:18For you and your wife?

28:19Because we normally just cook the main dish.

28:21Right.

28:22Just buy some kuih.

28:23Side dishes.

28:24Yeah, side dishes.

28:25Some appetizers.

28:26So 50.

28:27Oh, okay.

28:29But I would like to share an interesting aspect for single people.

28:35Who go to Ramadan bazaars and cannot buy small amounts of food.

28:42Because everything is sold in one longgok or one packet.

28:47Right.

28:48And it's a lot for one person.

28:50Right.

28:51So a colleague of ours shared her experience of going to a Ramadan bazaar.

28:56Where she wanted to buy tauhu bergedil.

28:59I love tauhu bergedil, by the way.

29:00But if you go to a lot of the bazaars now.

29:03Even if it's fresh out of the fryer.

29:09And they put it in the big vessel, right.

29:13It's sold loose.

29:14But you cannot buy one or two.

29:16You have to buy, I say minimum of four or six.

29:21That's a lot for one person to eat.

29:23So I feel the traders at least can give the customer some choices.

29:30Right.

29:30To avoid food wastage.

29:32Food wastage is another topic.

29:34Not even at, not only at Ramadan bazaars.

29:36But just pasar malams in general.

29:39Right.

29:39What do you think?

29:40Well, I think food wastage is a concern.

29:43I mean, in or outside of Ramadan.

29:46But I think it tends to become a more prominent issue during Ramadan.

29:51Because people will be eating at the same time.

29:54And a lot more people go to Ramadan bazaars than they do night markets.

29:57Because, I mean, night markets take place outside of Ramadan bazaars.

30:00And it's not a necessity for a lot of people to go.

30:03Ramadan bazaars, on the other hand, have over the years evolved into some kind of a necessity.

30:08Because nowadays, a lot of people, I mean, even if they're married, right.

30:13Both husband and wives would be working.

30:15So come, you know, once they finish working, everyone would go to Ramadan bazaar.

30:21So a lot more food wastage tends to be reported during Ramadan.

30:26So, so I, I think it, yes, you're right.

30:30It happens outside of Ramadan.

30:31But during Ramadan, it can be a bigger concern.

30:35Do you over, do you overspend at Ramadan bazaars for it?

30:40Okay, so normally my cap, Shahrukh said his cap was 50.

30:44My cap is normally 20.

30:46So normally, I am.

30:47Gosh, it's hard now.

30:4920 ringgit.

30:50Yeah.

30:50It's difficult to maintain that budget.

30:53Not if you buy only two things like me.

30:55I normally get ayam golek, which is normally about 14 to 16 ringgit.

30:59Half a chicken.

31:02And then I probably get some kuih.

31:04Probably kuih aku or probably, you know, some curry puffs.

31:08Normally about 2, 3 ringgit.

31:09So all of that would go under 20 ringgit.

31:11So I don't spend that much.

31:13But I do go almost every day.

31:16Oh, I have another story to share about one of our colleagues' experience

31:22at the kuih stall selling curry puffs.

31:24Apparently, there is this thing.

31:26Have you heard of curry puff oxygen?

31:29Yeah, yeah, yeah.

31:30Seriously?

31:30Seriously.

31:31I didn't know about this until one of our colleagues told me.

31:34And it's crazy.

31:35It's tantalizing looking curry puffs.

31:41The curry puff pusing or whatever.

31:43But when you bite into it, there's nothing in there.

31:46That's cheating.

31:49No, there was a meme going about this curry puff oxygen when there's nothing inside.

31:53But this seller, my guess is he really brands it as curry puff oxygen.

31:59Meaning he is declaring it.

32:01Is that what happened?

32:02I'm not sure.

32:03But I wouldn't be happy if I, you know,

32:08was looking forward to eating a curry puff with the filling inside

32:13and discover there is nothing.

32:15It's just air.

32:16I would be disappointed.

32:17Is this little or nothing?

32:19Nothing?

32:19No, nothing.

32:20It's just the pastry.

32:22So if I'm paying, okay, RM150 or RM2, I would be just not happy at all.

32:29Because there was a running joke.

32:31I think Shahrul knows.

32:31There was a running joke a few years ago about curry puff oxygen.

32:35It's a term people coin when they buy a curry puff and found out that it's empty inside.

32:41But my guess is based on this story, this trader is purposely branding it.

32:45I see.

32:46Yeah.

32:46So he purposely said and he's telling his customer this curry puff is empty.

32:50This is what you're getting.

32:52Goodness.

32:56Well, like what I said before, just each to his own.

33:00I want to, okay, anyway, pricey foods apart.

33:05I want to discuss something.

33:07Shahrul did bring up at the beginning of this podcast about how he saw,

33:11I mean, how he saw non-Malays also going to Ramadan Bazaar.

33:15So we want to talk a little bit about how Ramadan Bazaar bring Malaysians together.

33:20So maybe Shahrul and Aida can share what are your thoughts on that.

33:22You first.

33:24Well, when we did the review at the Kota Damansara Ramadan Bazaar, I met some expats.

33:32They are teachers here in Klang Valley.

33:35And they love going to our night markets and Ramadan Bazaars because there's this,

33:42like I said earlier, there's this air of exuberance where everyone's happily buying

33:48food and as expats, they look forward to tasting our various Asian cuisines, right?

33:58And it's just a melting pot.

34:01We have Chinese, Malay, Indian, and they can find this a lot at the Ramadan Bazaar.

34:09So from your nasi berani to your char kway teow to your nasi lemak, right?

34:17They're always happy to visit our Ramadan Bazaar.

34:20And the Caucasians, they love the Asian food because of all the myriads of flavors, right?

34:29And even I met a teacher from London as well.

34:34So yeah, they're just happy to visit our bazaars.

34:38And obviously, we are also happy to see them because it's a pull for tourism as well, right?

34:46What do you think?

34:48I think I totally agree with you, Aida.

34:50I mean, Ramadan Bazaar really brings us together.

34:54We're all playing the food roulette.

34:56Sometimes we eat, sometimes we miss.

34:59But most of the time, we have a chat.

35:01What do you buy?

35:02I mean, if anything special, when the tourists ask me, like previously, I went for an assignment.

35:10But before that, I just buy a pack of food at Bazaar Jalan Tak.

35:15Um, they ask me what's special.

35:18And then we like change, I mean, like we change our knowledge on the food.

35:24I mean, like, yeah, I can see everybody, like Chinese, Indian, they're all together.

35:30Sometimes we eat, sometimes we miss, like I said just now.

35:33But I think it really brings us together.

35:36I don't see any problem with that.

35:37Yeah.

35:38And while we're buying food at the bazaar, we occasionally get questions from other visitors,

35:46right?

35:46It's, hey, is that, what do you think of that roti jala?

35:50Is that nice?

35:51And then you engage in conversation.

35:53So yes, that's nice.

35:54It is, it does contribute to a sense of national unity, right?

36:00To just embrace each other's cultures.

36:03More like non-Malays embracing Malay culture, but okay.

36:05But yeah, but yeah, I see what you mean.

36:11But yes, I went to Putrajaya last week and I saw a lot of non-Malays shopping there,

36:20buying at the Ramadan bazaars.

36:21But, and then I think Putrajaya had lots of vacant spaces where people put up, put out

36:29their mats and people would sit on the, on the grass and people would enjoy breaking

36:34fast together.

36:35And I saw plenty of non-Malays there.

36:37And I also saw a group of students.

36:39I think they were students, some Malay, some non-Malay.

36:42So they were mixing together and the non-Malays actually waited for their Malay friends to

36:47break fast before they eat, you know, and hopefully no one slaps each other.

36:51But, but yeah, they were, they were very respectful.

36:55And I think it, it opens up an opportunity for people to have discussions about, you

37:01know, cultures, about traditions, you know, because I've broken fast with my non-Malay

37:05friends and they always ask, like a recent, I mean, they, they asked me questions about

37:09the tradition, about Ramadan.

37:11So it was a great opportunity to talk about, you know, things we wouldn't normally talk

37:17about, but you know, the food helps to soften the mood.

37:20Yeah.

37:20You know.

37:21It's a sort of like a love language.

37:23Fruit brings us together often.

37:26Yeah.

37:27But Farid, you have another story to share about your Ramadan Bazaar experience where

37:32you bumped into a royalty.

37:35Is that right?

37:35Okay.

37:36I, I, I, I have minimal recollection of this, but it's my, it's something that my mum brings

37:42up a lot every year.

37:44Apparently when I was five or four, I can't remember, I was at the Bazaar Ramadan, I was

37:49at the Ramadan Bazaar in Setiawangsa and apparently, according to my mum, there was

37:55a royalty who came to visit the Bazaar.

37:57I don't remember which royalty it was, but this was a story she told me.

38:01So everyone had, you know, sort of moved to the side, you know, to make way for the royalty.

38:06But I kept on running and I bumped into the royalty.

38:11So my mum was incredibly concerned for my safety at the time.

38:15My mum said, luckily nothing happened.

38:18I was just patted on the head and I was let go.

38:21So my mum said, well, hopefully that means something good for you because you have received

38:26royal blessing at the Ramadan Bazaar.

38:28That's probably why I like going to Ramadan Bazaar.

38:32I, I think certain Bazaars like the one in Section 6 in Kelana Jaya, I noticed that they

38:41have extra entertainment.

38:43They have, they have a clown.

38:45What?

38:46Yeah, blowing animal balloons and entertaining the kids.

38:50Yeah.

38:50Just keeping them occupied for a while.

38:51I think that's a, that's a good idea.

38:53Yeah.

38:54To just, again, contribute to the exuberance of the Bazaar feel.

38:58The vibe, right?

38:59Yeah.

39:01What about you, Cheryl?

39:02Have you seen anything else at the Bazaar aside from the traders selling food?

39:08I mean, does firecrackers count?

39:11No.

39:12Boleh ke?

39:13Firecrackers?

39:13I saw, I saw it.

39:15Ke fireworks?

39:16I think firecracker, fire just be all.

39:20Really?

39:20Kind of a cocktail of firecrackers.

39:22I've seen that, yes.

39:24Yeah.

39:24Interesting.

39:25Well, as Patin thought, what are you guys, what do you feel about Ramadan Bazaar and

39:33what do they mean to you?

39:34I mean, for me personally, it's about sharing.

39:37We're sharing our culture.

39:40We're sharing our food.

39:42We're sharing our space with other people, right?

39:47Talk about the unity.

39:49Sorry.

39:50Few years back, I went to Bazaar.

39:53I think it touched me because, in a good way, it touched me in a good way.

40:01Because while I was queuing to buy food, it's almost Azan, Maghrib, and then there are,

40:07I think Chinese in front of me.

40:09They say, hey bro, you can come first.

40:11I think it's time already for you to breakfast.

40:14You can come first.

40:15Oh, really?

40:17I don't ask twice.

40:20I think that is about, I mean, the unity.

40:24And just humans being considerate, I suppose.

40:27Yeah.

40:27And polite.

40:28That's nice.

40:29What about you, Farid?

40:31Well, I don't have a good story to top that.

40:33So I just say that it's a place where I get good food.

40:36And yeah.

40:38For me, I think what I mentioned earlier about familiar food that we grew up with,

40:45it's nice to still find that at the more modern Bazaars.

40:51That's all for now for this podcast.

40:53Hope you guys enjoyed listening to this.

40:56Once again, thanks for tuning into Life in the City podcast.

41:00This can be viewed on our YouTube channel at The Star Online and thestar.org.

41:05Thank you, Cheryl.

41:07Thank you for having me.

41:35Bye.

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EP05 – Ramadan bazaars: Tradition, trends and heartwarming stories | Life & the City

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