Seremban, Malaysia - A group of Singaporean journalists on a visit here to sample Malaysia‘s offerings during Ramadan, wished the same atmosphere existed at Ramadan bazaars back home.
Although the Singaporean government set up bazaars during Ramadan, they were not as lively as the ones in Malaysia which were more like night markets and selling all sorts of products and not merely those related to Aidilfitri, said Zai Ai Sughra, a journalist from Jaridah, a Malay newspaper in Singapore.
She said there was also only lukewarm response from consumers to the Ramadan bazaar in Geylang, the biggest in the city-state while the smaller ones which sprouted in housing areas during the fasting month fared no better.
As trading at the bazaars in the republic is open to all races, they sell not only Ramadan and Aidilfitri products but also that of other races like sarees and cheong sam, she said.
Zai was among the group of journalists from Singapore who were on a two-day tour of Malaysia during the fasting month at the invitation of the Tourism Ministry,
Tourism Malaysia has been wooing Singaporeans to visit Malaysia during the fasting month since five years ago especially to experience the Ramadan bazaars.
"Ours are rather plain unlike the carnival atmosphere at Ramadan bazaars here," Zai told reporters at a Ramadan bazaar near Paroi here today.
Another member of the entourage, Rozalina Abdullah, 21, said that although Ramadan and Aidilfitri in Singapore were joyous affairs, they lacked the "kampung atmosphere" Malaysia had.
Source: www.muslimnews.co.uk (24 September 2007)
