International students embrace local Ramadan tradition
JOHOR BARU: It has barely been a week since Indonesian Muhammad Syaifal Anuggrah Illahi arrived here to further his studies, and he already feels like he is part of the local community.
The 22-year-old said participating in a bubur lambuk cooking activity at Universiti Kuala Lumpur Mitec in Pasir Gudang here gave him a sense of belonging as the programme emphasised community spirit, togetherness and charity.
“I only arrived in Johor Baru over the weekend, and I already feel like I fit in because the programme was attended by students and the community.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of bubur lambuk, which I was told is a staple for Ramadan in Malaysia.
“I was amazed at the amount of ingredients and spices that go into a pot of bubur lambuk, giving it a strong aroma,” said the Industrial Logistics student in an interview with The Star.
Muhammad Syaifal, whose hometown is in Padang, West Sumatra, said coming together to cook for charity was also a similar practice among Indonesians, so it was something close to his heart.
His coursemate, Adjeng Putri Anarya, 21, also expressed excitement about cooking bubur lambuk.
“It is quite different from our usual chicken porridge in Indonesia, which is eaten with kicap (soy sauce).
“It was interesting to see how it is made from scratch; the atmosphere was also festive as everyone was involved, from stirring the porridge to packing them into containers for distribution,” she added.
Adjeng, who is from Jakarta, said she has been in Johor for two weeks, and her favourite food for breaking fast is nasi lemak and roti canai.
A total of 18 pots of bubur lambuk were cooked in about six hours, which were then distributed in 6,500 packs to the less privileged.
The activity was a corporate social responsibility event organised by Regency Specialist Hospital and the university, involving about 250 people from the campus as well as employees from the government and private sectors.