Fasting Month in Malaysia

I wanted to see how things function in Malaysia, which is a Malay/Muslim majority country, during their fasting month.

To my pleasant surprise, all the shops in the shopping centers are open. More importantly all the food outlets were open, even those operated by Malay establishments. Malays who are working in F&B establishments were manning their shops in full force with a smile. No sign of fatigue. Of course the number of customers dining in food outlets during this period is much less but they are open to cater to the other locals and tourists. Traffic on the streets look normal and everything seems to be business as usual.

This is in sharp contrast to what I remember happens in the Middle East. I had to be in Dubai during their fasting month sometime in 2007 or 2008. When I checked in, the hotel informed me that the regular restaurants would all be closed during the day time and only open in the night.

They had set aside a small room for the non Muslim guests to dine with a reduced menu, even for breakfast. That room was completely covered in dark curtains so no one from the outside could see that anyone was inside eating.

When I walked into Dubai Mall all the cafes were shut. Apparently eating in the open during the daytime was prohibited even for non Muslims. I was told not to be seen eating when I was walking outside. Very few food outlets were open. Those open had curtains covering all their windows so that no one walking outside could see in. I remember it was quite depressing. For the other shops that were open, the staff numbers were reduced and I  could see a general lethargy all around. Daytime was eerily quiet.

One late afternoon I was in a jewelry shop. The boss, a Middle Eastern gentleman, had just come in. We chatted a bit and he and invited me to dinner at 10 pm. He said that during the fasting month they reverse their cycle. So they sleep in the daytime and wake up in the late afternoon/evening and then stay awake and eat throughout the night and go to bed at dawn.

Of course Dubai must be different now. So many expats of many different races have moved there in recent years. I understand there is a large Chinese community and a thriving tourism sector. Not sure if things during the fasting month are the same still. It would be very depressing if it was. At least it was to me then.