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Foreign students furthering their tertiary education here have praised the Ramadan culture in Malaysia.
Although some things are done differently in their homeland, the Multimedia University (MMU) students described observing the Muslim holy month here as filled with warmth, joy and a strong sense of togetherness with the local community.
Far from their home, families, and the traditions they grew up with, these students have had to find ways of marking the occasion by adapting to the local culture and enjoying food with their Malaysian friends.
Postgraduate student Abdul Kadir Md Aminul Islam, who is doing his MBA at the varsity, shared that he was happy to see the locals gathering to cook bubur lambuk before generously distributing it to others in the community.
“The gotong-royong spirit is very exciting to watch,” the 27-year-old said.
The Bangladeshi who has experienced Ramadan twice in Malaysia added that he noticed how his non-Muslim friends here show great respect towards those who are fasting, describing it as “truly wonderful”.
As part of its yearly activities during Ramadan, the varsity organised Iftar Perdana 2024 for its staff and student community at the Cyberjaya and Melaka campuses on March 26 and 27, respectively.
Some 1,000 attendees were feted with Malaysian delicacies with MMU president Prof Datuk Dr Mazliham Mohd Su’ud gracing the buka puasa events.
Bachelor of Computer Science (Hons) student Abdul Rahman Said, 18, from Nigeria said Ramadan is the best time to reflect on his past actions and to do more al-Qur’an recitations.
Having lived in Malaysia for a few years, he has been accustomed with how Ramadan is celebrated here.
“The atmosphere is very peaceful and I truly enjoy the many bazaars,” he added.
Abdul Rahman’s coursemate, Doua Ellah Boukhari, 21, said she is missing her family.Doua, who is a member of the university’s Student Representative Council, is from Algeria.
“Spending Ramadan away from home is a bit hard on me.
“Algerian culture focuses on family gatherings so it’s a challenge.
“But I am doing my best to enliven the blessed month by strengthening my faith,” the student who specialises in cybersecurity said.
When asked the differences between how Ramadan is celebrated in her home country and Malaysia, Doua said homebaked bread is the daily staple instead of rice.
“The food is very different,” she said.
