KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Sahur presents Abdul Aziz Mohd Alyas the opportunity to spend more time with his teenage daughter Shahirah Amalina in the morning, a luxury for the 39-year-old security manager who works the latenight shift. 

“I work from 11pm to 5 in the morning and when I get home I usually go to bed immediately so I don’t see my daughter that much,” he told Malay Mail.

He said when he was asleep, his daughter, 16, would be getting ready to go to school by bus. 

“I chose to spend more time this Ramadan month with her as I am usually busy with work. Now, I also get to send her to school too,” he said. 

Like Aziz, the night shift gives many Muslim folk a chance to enjoy their meals with their loved ones during sahur, the last meal before the start of fasting for the rest of the day. 

Car jockey Mohd Zainal Fitri, 22, said this was the first Ramadan he was enjoying sahur without having to wake up early.

“Having sahur feels like it is just another part of my day after I finish work at 4am. I don’t even feel tired like how I used to,” he said.

He said one of the best things to look forward to in the morning was the traditional dishes prepared by the restaurant he frequently has his meals at. 

“I try not to have rice in the morning but it is an exception for Ramadan as I have been allowing myself to enjoy ‘nasi kandar’ and ‘roti canai’ for the past few days,” he said. 

He said sahur was also a time for him to spend time with his friends as he hardly gets to meet up with them during his normal working hours. 

“It has always been a tradition among us to ‘sahur’ together and I am glad we are still able to keep up with this tradition even with our different work schedules,” he said.

Traffic police officer Amirah Arifah Anuar, 27, said sahur time was convenient with her odd working hours as she did not need to adjust her sleep cycle. 

“It makes life easier as I can have my last meal for the day without having to wake up early. My friends and I are also able to spend a little more time together,” she said. 

“Apart from being comfortable with the odd working hours, I understand more about the meaning of Ramadan, making it even more easier for me to practise what I believe in.”