a fleeting stay ...

Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin People who do not use Facebook fall into three broad categories. The first group is completely indifferent to it, the second finds it mildly irritating and the third dislikes it intensely. Malaysia's prominent sociologist Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin is of the last type. I made the mistake of asking Shamsul, who is director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, if he was on Facebook, the social network which was hatched up in the dormitories of Harvard six years ago. "I have a face and I keep thousands of books. Why do I need Facebook?" How do you react to that reply? I didn't. I meekly invited him to elaborate on his reasons. "Facebook will take away my soul and I won't allow that to happen because I am a believer," says Shamsul fiercely, who launched into a tirade of accusations against Facebook. Ninety per cent of the things you read on Facebook are either p...

The Malaysian Open House is a tradition that is likely to continue for a very long time. It has been non-stop feasting for many Malaysian Muslims as they continue to manage or visit open houses during the month of Shawwal which began on September 10. Many have expressed admiration for this "unique and peculiar Malaysia tradition". The Malaysian open house or rumah terbuka (in the Malay language) is mostly held during major festivals such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Gawai, among others. It is the season to welcome relatives, friends, colleagues and sometimes strangers from the different ethnic groups into their homes. The activity creates goodwill and may lead to friendship for some people. While I like the idea of an open house, and by extension an open heart (because that is what the gesture implies), I find the sort organised by corporations a little impersonal. I prefer small gatherings of family and close friends. I am act...

Globetrotters often express the following sentiment: "The best part of travel is coming home". I am going to modify that slightly: "The best part of travel is returning to Malaysia." After a few days in a foreign land I begin to crave for all things Malaysian and that include teh tarik , street food, ethnic diversity and even the corny (some may say racist) jokes that Malaysians are fond of making. It would be nice if the weather was kinder, the transport system more efficient, traffic flow smoother and people remembered to hold doors behind them as a courtesy to others. It's not perfect but we are getting there. Today Malaysians celebrate the 47th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya on September 16, 1963. Singapore left the federation in 1965. From this year Malaysia Day is a national holiday. The following pictures show some of the things that make Malaysia so lovable. Terengganu boasts t...

Yesterday was Eid-ul-Fitr, the first day of Shawwal , which marked the end of Ramadan . Muslims in Malaysia celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri in true Malaysian fashion: holding open house to spread the festive joy with friends and colleagues from the different ethnic groups. It's always open house at the homes of most Malaysians during major festivals. It is a well-established tradition in Malaysia. Believers had gathered in mosques all over Malaysia on Friday morning to offer the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers. After prayers they exchanged greetings by saying " Selamat Hari Raya (Happy Eid)" and asked for forgiveness for any wrongdoing they had done. Then it was time to welcome guests to their homes. For some the open house is held later in the month of Shawwal when Malaysians continue to engage in festivities until the very end. This is because they want to focus on other things on the first few days of Shawwal such as visiting graveyards to pay their r...

The balik kampung rush began about a week ago. Picture courtesy of New Straits Times. Indonesian house helper Ien was reunited with her teenage daughter and parents in Brengkok Village, Central Jawa, Indonesia last week. The reunion was an occasion she had longed for because the last time she returned to the family abode was more than two years ago. Ien and her husband -- a Kuala Lumpur-based construction worker who is also from Indonesia -- made the journey home because they wanted to savour Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri with family and friends this year. It's the first day of Shawwal  -- the month that marks the end of Ramadan -- tomorrow and by this time many Muslims who are residing outside their hometowns are with their loved ones or are on their way to be together with them. Malaysians have a term for the social reunion: balik kampung which literally means "going back to the village". Malays are not the only ones who observe balik kampung as ...

Muslims in Malaysia are still upset about the controversial Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid-ul-Fitr) advertisement which was pulled out recently following protests from viewers. They cannot believe that TV3 -- a popular television station in Malaysia -- had approved the festive commercial which depicted Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as Christmassy. There were elements of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism in the commercial: flying trishaw (which resembles Santa Claus' sleigh), lamps and lotus. "This is totally unacceptable," says an academic from a well-known private university college, who requested anonymity. "It is possible to be 1Malaysia but not 1Religion," he adds, alluding to the  1Malaysia concept , which Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak is promoting.

Today is the last Sunday before Eid-ul-Fitr or Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, as Malaysians call it, which is likely to fall on September 10, this year. Eid-ul-Fitr is the first day of Shawwal , which marks the end of Ramadan , the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar. This is the day Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and "thank Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practise self-control". For some Muslims in Malaysia preparation for the day of rejoicing started early. Many wives and mothers did their Raya shopping, as we name it in Malaysia, about a month before Ramadan began while others prefer to do it later. Land Public Transport Commission chief operating officer Shahril Mokhtar window-shopped two days after the start of the fasting month to "check out the prices" and to observe the festive trends this year. "Today is my actual day of shopping," said Shahril, who was trying sk...

The countdown to Eid ul-Fitr , the first day of Shawwal which marks the end of Ramadan , starts here. But Muslims must go through the last 10 days of Ramadan before the rejoicing begins. The final 10 days of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, are finally here. Muslims believe that the Night of Power or Lailatul Qadr  (also spelled Laylat al-Qadr ) falls within this period. They hold that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) by God through the Angel Gabriel on the Night of Power. Nobody knows when the Night of Power -- which the Quran describes as being "better than a thousand months" -- takes place and Muslims are encouraged to seek it out during the last 10 days of Ramadan by taking part in late-night prayers, Dhikr and spiritual contemplation. According to many accounts, the Night of Power is probably "on one of the odd nights on the last 10 days of Ramadan and most likely to be on the 27th". "It could happen on th...

A Ramadan bazaar in Wangsa Maju, Selangor. If you throw a stone in Malaysia during the month of Ramadan, you are likely to hit a bazaar. Bazaars offering a wide variety of food had sprouted up all over the country since Ramadan began on August 11. Lists of the top bazaars to go to have been drawn up. The more known and established bazaars attract enthusiasts from everywhere. Plans are made early in the day as to which bazaar they should visit. Malaysians enjoy their Ramadan bazaars just as they love their pasar malam (night markets). The tired soul derives great pleasure from soaking up the sight, sound and smell of stalls laden with delicious food. Food shopping at the bazaars is enjoyable but do it wisely. And there is something for everybody at the Ramadan bazaars. The appearance of dishes (such as bubur lambuk or savoury rice porridge) peculiar to the fasting month and normally not seen Malay cakes especially traditional ones (such as tepung pelita and pisang si...

Dates, dried kiwi fruit and apricots as well as pistachio nuts could make up the meal that breaks the day's fast. Dates "provide a refreshing burst of much-needed energy," notes Ramadan health guide. Serendipitous. That is the word I would use to describe a discovery in my mailbox last week. A friend had emailed me a file on Ramadan health guide, compiled by Communities in Action . It was exactly the thing that I had been looking for. About a month before Ramadan, which began on August 11, I had been searching for materials on staying healthy during the fasting month. Then came Ramadan Health Guide, which hopes to create awareness of the health matters connected with  fasting. What concerns many Muslims is staying healthy during Ramadan, a point noted by the Ramadan health guide. The booklet guides readers through physiological changes that occur during fasting, offers examples of beneficial and harmful foods, examines potential medical problems and remedies ...

Guest blogger Jehan Mohd had her first taste of Malay fine dining at a berbuka puasa (breaking of the fast at sunset) event hosted by Commercial Radio Malaysia. Ibunda , the venue for the evening, offers a delicious mix of traditional Malay cooking dressed up in the trappings of the gastronomic equivalent of haute couture. Here are her thoughts on her experience. Our starter served in four bowls -- there was (from the left) lemang (glutinous rice soaked in coconut milk and cooked in bamboo over a slow fire) and rendang (stewed beef in coconut milk), rojak mamak  (Indian Muslim style salad with peanut sauce), some really nice fish in unidentified yummy sauce and bubur lambuk (savoury rice porridge).The rendang had a strange aftertaste but the fish and bubur were lovely! Also in the picture are my first air sirap bandung (a concoction of rose syrup water and evaporated milk) for the year, a vintage glass bottle of ice-cream soda (!) and dates dished up in a boat-like porcelein...

Some 300 orphans from five welfare homes and orphanages in the Klang Valley ( pictures ) were treated to berbuka puasa (the meal which breaks the day's fast, also known as iftar in some cultures) at Nikko Hotel, Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Members of the media were also invited to the event, which was organised by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia's biggest fund management company. It is a yearly occurrence. The special guests received duit raya (the customary cash gift for Eid ul-Fitr , the first day of Shawal that marks the end of Ramadan ), dates and cookies for Eid ul-Fitr. PNB is among many corporations in Malaysia that organise berbuka puasa for the underprivileged sections of the community in Malaysia. While I laud the move by these corporations, I could not help but wonder why hotels are chosen as the venues for these social functions? What is wrong with community halls, mosques or school halls? Other members of the community -- rich, poor, th...

Muslims will do without food and drink from dawn to dusk during Ramadan , but after a day of fasting, they will want something refreshing to quench their thirst and good to eat. When people have been starving all day long, they expect cooling drinks and tasty food at the breaking of fast which takes place just after sunset. Watermelon juice is a popular thirst quencher for breaking fast. A long menu of Malaysian delicacies such as bubur lambuk (savoury porridge especially prepared for Ramadan), mee rebus (noodles with thick gravy), the various types of soups, piping hot rice eaten with ikan bakar (grilled fish), sambal tempoyak (fermented durian condiment) and ulam (local raw greens) are usually hot items on the buka puasa  (which means breaking of fast in Malay or iftar in some cultures) table while the best-liked thirst quenchers include cold sirap bandung (a concoction of syrup water and evaporated milk), coconut water and watermelon juice. Mosques and suraus ...

Old friends. They are individuals you know well and like. They could be one of your best, close or childhood friends. What do they mean to you? I am asking you this question because I had just spent the whole day with an old friend from Singapore. Let us call her Pat. Pat was one of my colleagues at the Singapore Monitor (now defunct) in the early 1980s. We were junior journalists at the newspaper organisation back then. We were part of a circle of journalists in Singapore; shared ideas and experiences saw some of us forging bonds of friendship between each other. When the newspaper folded in the late Eighties, Pat and I went our separate ways. I returned to Malaysia and resumed my career as a journalist at the newspaper organisation I was attached to before I left to go to Singapore. Pat fell in love with an English man, got married and relocated to the United Kingdom. She came back to Singapore when her husband passed away several years ago. Initially, we kept in ...

Many young people today may not understand the unions arranged by match-makers. Picture by Ahmad Kushairi.   I am doing some research on a project which entails going through back issues of the The Straits Times in 1962. As I scrolled through the 1962 articles (which have been stored in microfilm) at the NSTP Resource Centre yesterday, an article by Esme Baptista ( Vital questions for a girl about to wed ) caught my eye. It was on Page 12 ( The Straits Times , September 4, 1962) and the strap line read MAINLY FOR WOMEN. Baptista wrote for urban women in Malaya including Singapore and her article referred to changing attitudes towards marriage in the East at the time. Young Malayan women were then beginning to discover the freedom to choose the men they want to love and marry. Arranged nuptials were no longer the only option for them, and, as noted by Baptista, "unions arranged by match-makers are becoming fewer". Parents in independent Malaya must take into ac...