KUCHING: A group of youths from Kampung Tambey, Samarahan, are reviving the Ramadan tradition of ‘ketuk sahur’ practised by previous generations.
Led by Busmani Drahman, they formed the Kampung Tambey ‘Gerak Sahur’ team two years ago to keep up the practice of waking up villagers for sahur (pre-dawn meal) during the fasting month.
“The ‘ketuk sahur’ tradition was passed down from our elders. In the past, they would beat the kompang from 3am onwards to signal the start of sahur.
“However, the tradition was no longer observed for many years.
“With encouragement from the villagers, I decided to revive it in 2023 with my friends and we set up our ‘Gerak Sahur’ group,” he said.
‘Ketuk sahur’ refers to the practice of beating drums to create a rhythmic sound as a mobile alarm to wake the community.
Instead of using drums or kompang, Busmani and his team use repurposed household items like pots, pans and buckets.
“If anyone wants to donate kompang to us, we will really appreciate it,” he said.
About 20 youths take part in the ‘ketuk sahur’ activity on weekdays, while 30 to 40 people join during weekends and holidays.
They start at 4am and take about half an hour to walk two kilometres around the village.
“After that, we will return to our own homes for sahur. Sometimes we will have the meal together as a group,” Busmani said.
According to him, the response from the villagers has been positive.
“Before the fasting month started, the village committee expressed their hope that there would be a ‘ketuk sahur’ team this year to spread the festive spirit during Ramadan.
“So they welcomed and encouraged the formation of a ‘ketuk sahur’ group,” he said.
Some villagers even commented that the atmosphere in Kampung Tambey would be very quiet without the “ketuk sahur”.
“Occasionally we were unable to go out because of heavy rain and the villagers wanted to know where we were,” Busmani recalled.
“Their enthusiasm encourages us to keep going.”
