SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The rain-sodden streets of Geylang Serai glistened as the annual Hari Raya light-up kicked off on Feb 14.
Undeterred by the downpour, more than 1,000 people attended the event in Wisma Geylang Serai, which also signalled the start of the Geylang Serai Ramadan bazaar.
A crowd favourite, the yearly market with more than 500 stalls will run until Hari Raya Aidilfitri on March 21, three days longer than its previous iteration.
This means that the largest bazaar of Singapore’s Hari Raya celebrations will remain open during the whole of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer that starts next week.
In a bid to encourage digital adoption at the bazaar, its organisers have partnered with Grab to provide a 5 per cent discount to visitors who pay using Grab Dine Out.
Those who make purchases with the feature at three different stalls stand to receive $3 Grab Dine Out vouchers, which can be used at more than 1,000 businesses. They must spend a total of at least $10 to redeem the vouchers.
The bazaar’s retailers will also be given the chance to participate in daily live-streaming sessions on Shopee from 8pm to midnight, which will complement their operations.
Themed “We Celebrate Together”, this year’s festivities aim to welcome people of all backgrounds to experience the fasting month.
Visitors to the area will be treated to performances featuring local and regional talent on some nights, as well as a travelling exhibition by the Malay Heritage Centre on how Ramadan and Hari Raya are celebrated in Singapore.
Speaking at the launch on Feb 14, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong highlighted Geylang Serai’s special place as the heart of the Malay and Muslim community.
The multiracial families attending the light-up ceremony and bazaar attest to the enduring strength of Singapore’s multicultural society, he added.
Singapore’s diversity confers on the Republic a competitive advantage in the global marketplace, he said.
Said DPM Gan: “In an increasingly polarised world, Singapore is proof that different communities can not only coexist but thrive together.”
He called on residents to remember that this harmony was the result of conscious effort, mutual respect and commitment, and has to be passed on to their children.
DPM Gan was joined by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Faishal Ibrahim.
Associate Professor Faishal said the 2026 theme positions Wisma Geylang Serai as a welcoming space where the Ramadan and Hari Raya values of giving, graciousness and gratitude are shared openly.
He told the media: “If you look at what’s happening around the world, I think we have to celebrate the blessings that we are receiving, not only for the different communities, but... for our nation as a whole.”
As the rain subsided after the launch, DPM Gan, Prof Faishal, several MPs and People’s Association grassroots advisers admired the lights on an open deck bus tour.
The bazaar will operate daily from 10am to 11.59pm, with hours extended to 6am on Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
The light-up is on till March 30. -- The Straits Times/ANN
