Ramadhan is the season of bountiful wastage

It’s been estimated the amount of food wasted could feed 180 million people. That’s equivalent to six times our population.

Piled up high, it would stand as tall as 30 KLCC buildings. Imagine that!

It goes to show that Malaysians, Muslims namely, might be missing the point when it comes to this holiest of months.

I was taught that Ramadhan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is the time when Muslims all over the planet abstain themselves from evil deeds and negativity.

Fasting also reminds us there are people out there who are not as lucky as us. There are people out there who are starving whilst we happily build a mountain out of all the glorious food we fail to consume, before chucking it all straight into the dustbin.

I have to admit that I (too) have been guilty of throwing away food. But I blame it on all the badly-prepared food sold at the Ramadhan bazaar.

Every year without fail, I will encounter a lot of pain, in the stomach and in the heart. All thanks to serially consuming stale kuih-muih (pastries) or lauk-pauk (dishes) from these bazaars.

I’ve mentally banned myself from frequenting them again but I guess my will is not that strong.

Like yesterday, I succumbed to the sweet smell of grilled (supposedly) tender lamb that cost RM10 a pop at the Ramadhan bazaar in my neighbourhood in Bukit Indah, Ampang.

The seller promised me the lamb was from New Zealand and would be succulent and juicy and simply melt in my mouth, hence the dear price tag.

A sucker for anything meaty, I went home thinking this could finally change my perception towards Ramadhan bazaar. Perhaps Malay food sellers and stall owners have finally gotten on point with serving good food to consumers.

To my dismay, the grilled lamb was tasteless, dry and chewy. I’m guessing this is as close as you can get to biting a flip-flop!

This made me angry during break of fast, a time when I should have been rejoicing. I was cussing away in my heart when I should be thankful and keeping blessed thoughts.

And I actually felt satisfied when I forcefully shoved the lamb into the trash. To me that’s where it deserved to be.

This happens to me every year, every Ramadhan. And I am sure many have encountered this too, as if it has become part of our culture or custom in this country during the holy month.

There were even days when I spent hours with my head in the toilet bowl, vomiting the awful food out of my system. Yes, it’s the worst, but I have yet to learn my lesson. Only because I still have faith that there are Ramadhan bazaar vendors and stall owners out there who have the courtesy to serve their customers sincerely, diligently and hygienically.

It was reported that the authorities are thinking of penalising consumers for wasting food.

But I think they should also think of better ways of ensuring food operators, from hotels to the Ramadhan bazaar, are civil enough to sell food that is not just barely edible, but actually tasty and safe to consume.