Ramadan in Malaysia is about community, said consul-general Yubazlan Yusof during the Iftar held at his house
Dubai - Malaysian consul-general hosts Iftar where guests from various faiths enjoy a sumptuous meal.
Published: Wed 29 Jun 2016, 6:50 PM
Updated: Thu 30 Jun 2016, 1:03 AM
- By
- Angel Tesorero
Ramadan is about embracing compassion and showing mercy as well as promoting acceptance and empathy," said Malaysian consul-general Yubazlan Yusof. "In Malaysia, the holy month is manifested by the community spirit called 'Muhibah'."
It means racial harmony, and that's what we experienced at the Iftar he and his family hosted at their villa in Al Barsha on Sunday, where guests from various faiths sat together and enjoyed a sumptuous meal.
"Ramadan in Malaysia is about community," consul-general Yusof told us after we had settled down. "Back in Malaysia, we cook more than usual and send food to our neighbours - be they Muslims or non-Muslims."
The menu
> Bubur Lambuk - Flavourful porridge with spices, similar to harees, usually cooked during Ramadan and distributed at mosques
> Nasi Kerabu - blue-coloured rice popular in east coast of Malaysia served with solok lada (light green chillies filled stuffed with fish and coconut), fried fish or chicken, vegetables, budu (fermented fish sauce), and keropok (crackers).
> Mee Goreng - fried noodle
> Bihun Goreng - stir-fried rice vermicelli with sweet soy sauce
> Karipap - curry puff similar to samosa Fried Chicken, fish and grilled meat
Dessert
> Seri Muka - (literal translation: pretty face), a creamy green and white two-layered glutinous rice dessert
> Bingka Ubi - baked tapioca cake
> Sagu Gula Melaka - pudding with palm sugar
> Buah Melaka - green-coloured bite-sized glutinous rice ball coated in grated coconut
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"We promote this sense of belonging because Malaysia is not just a Muslim country, we have Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and other religions. Some of them even fast during Ramadan. And we also celebrate Christmas, Chinese New Year and Diwali. We embrace each other and respect each other. Islam is the state religion but people can practice their faith without any problem, like in Dubai," explained consul-general Yusof.
One of his guests and long-time friend, KC Cheah, who is also fasting despite being a Buddhist, added: "We grew up together and we feel for each other. Sometimes, if there is an urge for us to eat or drink, we do so discreetly.
Although back in Malaysia there is no law that prohibits anyone from eating or drinking in public, we do not want to hurt or disrespect our Muslim brothers."
Consul Neermal Shunmugam, a Hindu, said that Malaysia, a nation of 31 million people with 60 per cent being Muslim, is a multi-cultural country and respect for one's religion and culture is the foundation of the country's well-being.
Keeping with the tradition is also at the heart of Malaysian culture and preparing for a feast or Iftar is a shared responsibility. It was a big gathering - consul-general Yusof had invited his consuls and vice-consuls and their families. We were around 50 in all, including kids. And the food was prepared by the wives of the consuls who are members of Perwakilan Dubai, the Malaysian ladies association in Dubai.
Consul-general Yusof's wife, Tengku Sakiah Tenku Zalid, played the perfect host, while their four children - Nurin Badzlin (15); Razin Danial (14); Ainin Sofea (10); and Nisrin Khadija (4) - took care of the younger crowd.
Consul-general Yusof and his wife explained the menu (see box) and proudly presented the most popular dish in the eastern coast of Malaysia called nasi kerabu. Intriguing is the word, for the dish made of rice was blue in colour dyed naturally by the petals of the kembang telang (butterfly-pea flower) grown in their backyard.
Our conversation was cut short by Azan and everyone got ready for Maghrib prayers.
We ended the fast with tamar (dates) and some tropical fruits like rambutan, manggis (mangosteen) and mata kucing (longan).
It was a very good meal, made more memorable by the lively conversation. Before we left, Consul General Yusof invited to us to the Friday Ramadan Bazaar at the Malaysian Consulate in Bur Dubai.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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