GEORGE TOWN, May 6 — A nasi kandar section entirely on its own at Ramadan bazaars?
Well, the Penang Government, at least, seems to like the idea.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today welcomed the suggestion by local Non-governmental Organisation, the Penang Muslim League, to diversify the popular Lebuh Queen Ramadan bazaar to include a section just for nasi kandar dishes.
Chow said he will give the suggestion some thought, adding that by turning it into a tourism draw, it could work in Penang’s favour.
“Congratulations to the Penang Muslim League for the suggestion to rebrand the bazaar into something similar as the Penang Food Festival, it is surely another effort to woo tourists over,” he said after officiating the opening of the Muslim League Ramadan Bazaar in Lebuh Queen, here.
At the event, Penang Muslim League President Datuk Haja Najmudeen Kader expressed his desire to diversify the existing bazaar by opening a section on the right end specially for popular nasi kandar dishes.
He backed his suggestion by saying that Lebuh Queen was popular for its nasi kandar outlets and as such having a separate section for the popular local cuisine, besides local traditional kuih, would be a good move.
Earlier, in his speech Chow said the Muslim League’s Ramadan Bazaar was already a popular tourist attraction due to its strategic location and easy accessibility.
“As we all know, Ramadan is not only celebrated by Muslims but by non-Muslims, including tourists as well, and we can see this from their presence at most Ramadan bazaars,” he said. Chow said Ramadan also acts as a unity bridge for the nation’s diverse population, culture and faith.
“We must be always be grateful to be able to live peacefully in a multi-racial and multi-religious country.”
“Our differences should not be made a weapon for division and distrust but rather platforms to strengthen unity. — Bernama
