From weekend pasar malam to festive food fairs, these gatherings offer a wide selection of dishes that reflect the country ' s diverse culinary traditions. During the fasting month, these markets become even more vibrant as Ramadan bazaars appear across towns and cities.

Each evening, thousands of Malaysians visit these bazaars to buy food for iftar, creating a lively atmosphere filled with the aromas of freshly prepared meals, traditional kuih and popular street food.

While the bazaars remain an important cultural and economic feature of Ramadan, they also highlight a broader challenge that persists year-round— managing surplus food.

Large quantities of food prepared for peak demand may go unsold by the end of the day, contributing to the wider issue of food waste.

Although this concern often receives greater attention during Ramadan because of the scale and visibility of bazaar activity, similar patterns occur throughout the year at night markets, food festivals, buffet spreads and large public events. The fasting month places the issue under a brighter spotlight.

UNSOLD FOOD REALITY

Ramadan bazaars play a significant role in supporting small traders.

For many vendors, the seasonal markets provide an important opportunity to generate income. Preparations often begin hours before sunset as traders cook and arrange a wide range of dishes in anticipation of the evening crowd.

Estimating demand, however, is not always straightforward.

Vendors must strike a careful balance between preparing enough food to meet customer expectations and avoiding excess that may remain unsold by the end of the night. Preparing too little risks losing customers, while preparing too much can result in

Datuk A. Rajendran

“ These findings reflect growing public awareness about the importance of valuing food and practising responsible spending and food preparation”

surplus food that cannot be stored safely for the following day.

Food waste itself is not a new issue in Malaysia.

According to the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation( SWCorp), food waste remains one of the largest components of the country ' s solid waste stream.

SWCorp has noted that festive periods and months with increased food preparation tend to result in higher waste generation.

SWCorp chief executive Khalid Mohamed said the findings reflect growing public awareness about responsible food consumption.

" These findings reflect growing public awareness about the importance of valuing food and practising responsible spending and food preparation," he said in a statement.

However, recent data also suggest encouraging progress.

The agency reported that the proportion of edible food waste recorded during Ramadan has declined compared with previous years, suggesting that awareness campaigns and anti-food-waste initiatives are beginning to influence consumer behaviour.

SWCorp has also highlighted that while overall waste generation continues to grow alongside population and economic activity, the share of avoidable food waste during Ramadan has gradually decreased, reflecting increasing public awareness about responsible consumption.

Despite this improvement, food waste during periods of heightened food activity

- including festive seasons and large public events- remains slightly higher than during ordinary months.

Increased food preparation, buffet spreads and the tendency for consumers to purchase more food than necessary continue to contribute to the challenge.

FOOD RESCUE EFFORTS

To address the issue, SWCorp has introduced several initiatives to promote food appreciation and responsible consumption.

Among them is the MySaveFood programme, which works with various partners to recover surplus edible food and redistribute it to communities in need.

Through MySaveFood @ Ramadan activities, tens of tonnes of surplus food from Ramadan bazaars have been collected and redirected to welfare groups rather than discarded.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to reduce waste while supporting vulnerable communities.

" Collaboration between government