TO Muslims, Ramadan is the time for reflection and purification of the soul.
But for some, nay make that many, it was a race against the clock to gorge and feed their food fetishes before the impending fasting month.
This was the candid observation of netizen creamy onion chicken (@sofeachipscake) who was amazed at the ultra-long queues around the Sukiya outlet at the Central i-City mall in Shah Alam prior to the arrival of Ramadan.
She pointedly asked if it was doomsday tomorrow? Her post which has generated 865.1K views at the time of writing elicited numerous responses, especially from netizens who also witnessed similar scenes at various other malls.
Esok kiamat ke? Sukiya icity ni beratur dah berpusing pusing dah ni macam harini last hidup je semua
— creamy onion ciken 🧅🍗 (@sofeachipscake) March 1, 2025
Another social media influencer was also keen to highlight a similar phenomenon at the Sukiya outlet at MyTown shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur with long queues stretching beyond its doors.
He opined that Muslim diners were keen to satisfy their cravings before the fasting month kicked in.
Korang memang betul-betul lepaskan craving sebelum puasa ke??? 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/yUOlcB882S
— kamaghul deghaman (@kamaghul) March 1, 2025
While one commenter shared that news of impending doomsday had filtered through to crowds at Ikea Mutiara Damansara causing long queues to form at the furniture outlet’s extremely popular canteen.
Another netizen also took pictures of the long queues forming as early as 10am outside a BBQTown outlet, emphasising the phenomenon.
Concurring with the poster, one commenter reckoned that such mad rush was akin to a death row prisoner’s last meal before going to the gallows.
Another pointed out that the long queues at the Central i-City mall were exacerbated by the proximity of universities – notably the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) main campus and Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) – with tonnes of hungry young students swelling the crowds.
One opined that this was the usual phenomenon with local Malays who would react on the eve of Ramadan as if they were going to be fasting for a year.
Another noted the irony of the situation whereby people spent more time queuing than eating.
Some did wonder why so many of the diners behave as though it was their first time fasting.
One asked why the mad rush. It is not as if those food cannot be enjoyed during Ramadan. Patrons can always call to make booking or table reservation.
However, one netizen counselled that the poster should not be too judgmental and just let people be. It is their right to enjoy life as they see fit.
While it may seem overly harsh to criticise the queuing masses for wanting to line their palates prior to Ramadan, the question that begs to be asked is whether this is the consequence of mass consumerism?
Has the true meaning of Ramadan been lost in the mad rush to satisfy their cravings?
Meanwhile, various food outlets, especially those brands highlighted above, will be counting their good fortune that Ramadan brings. – March 3, 2025
