No Ramadan bazaars, less food wastage

The absence of Ramadan bazaars this year following the spread of COVID-19 has resolved the problem of food wastage that occurs each fasting month, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

He said this was spurred by the recommendation made by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that Muslims cook their meals at home.

"No Ramadan bazaar, what is bought and cooked is within control. So, the wastage is minimised," he told reporters after a contribution-presentation ceremony to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM)

He added that if possible, there should be zero wastage, and current efforts towards that goal seemed to bear fruit.

Asked about residents in green zones who did not take the Movement Control Order (MCO) seriously but went out to buy food for the break-of-fast, Zulkifli said they should take heed of what has happened in other countries where such careless attitudes led to a second or third wave of COVID-19 infections.

"We are still struggling to break the chain of COVID-19 infections. There are many other ways (of buying food), for instance by using food delivery services to the home. This is much better and we get to stay at home," he said.

On Jakim's Musa'adah COVID-19 Fund, Zulkifli said to date, RM1.6 million of the total RM3.7 million in the fund has been used to help the needy.

At the event today, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) received a contribution of 3,000 units of masks, 400 bottles of hand sanitisers and 500 boxes of IgCo Colostrum Milk worth RM111,000 from Success Network International (SNI) Sdn Bhd.

Jakim also presented personal protective equipment (PPE) sets to the Putrajaya Hospital which was a contribution from a Palestinian businessman in Malaysia, Abdul Faragh Abdul Shahfi.

-- BERNAMA