‘Ramadan bazaar traders know what to do with unsold food’
KUALA LUMPUR: Ramadan bazaar traders have been reminded not to waste unsold food during the fasting month and instead donate it.
Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Traders and Hawkers Association president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman said traders had been informed about the standard operating procedures on leftovers.
“They know what to do with the leftovers. If there are any leftovers, they will hand them to the nearest mosques or distribute them to the homeless. It is a sedekah (charity), practised by Muslims.”
He reminded traders who donated food to ensure it was in good condition.
“We don’t recommend traders to give away perishable goods and dishes, such as ayam masak lemak or those cooked with coconut milk as they spoil easily.
“We constantly remind traders to minimise food wastage and donate the leftovers to the mosques and the needy,” he said.
He was commenting on whether bazaar traders were informed about the SOP on unsold or leftover food.
Rosli said there had been no reported case of food wastage at Ramadan bazaars during the fasting month.
On the types of food that were donated, Rosli said rice dishes, such as biryani, were donated to mosques as meals after tarawih prayers.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said traders in the city had been advised to donate unsold food to shelters for the homeless.
He said the leftovers would be donated to two shelters — Anjung Singgah YKN Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Hang Lekiu and the Medan Tuanku Feeding Centre in Jalan Pahang — as well as to the homeless people in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Masjid India and Masjid Jamek.
“We have informed traders on the correct procedures. They will donate the food to the shelters, as well as the homeless in the city centre as sedekah.”
He said many traders were aware of this practice and would pack the leftovers in food containers to be distributed to the homeless.
“So far, I have not received any report on food wastage. I hope traders don’t waste food during the fasting month. They know what to do to eliminate food wastage,” he told the New Straits Times.