KUCHING: Those who are fasting would know the feeling when visiting a Ramadan bazaar. There are mountains of food everywhere with the aroma of food wafting through the air. This is enough to make some people empty their pockets in a blink of an eye.
The never-ending array of food sold at the bazaar and hunger have influenced some consumers to overspend and buy more food than they need.
However, the situation for traders is different. New Sarawak Tribune discovered this after speaking to a few traders at the Ramadan Bazaar at Medan Niaga Satok here yesterday.
Instead of wasting unsold food which is still fit for consumption, the traders here donate it to the needy.
A trader, Fatimah, 48, said that whenever she had surplus of fried food, she would give it away to other hawkers.
“There are days where we have to deal with leftovers. However, they do not go to waste because I will give them to other traders. I will also give extra food to my customers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Badrul, who has been selling Roti John for over six years, also makes the effort to distribute his unsold food to a nearby mosque.
“It is more meaningful to give away rather than letting the food go to waste,” he said.
Abdul Rahman, 33, who is manning a Nasi Briyani stall gives away his unsold food to security guards working in the area.
Emma, 18, who works at a stall selling various types of ABC and Cendol, said, “Often, the drinks are sold off fast. Any leftover is distributed to hawkers and those who are working here.”
