Compiled by DIVYA THERESA RAVI, C.ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
WHAT began as a trial by an army battalion has quickly turned into a Ramadan hit, with 100 of Tok Singa’s lemang selling out in just 18 minutes, Sinar Harian reported.
Commanding officer of 18 RAMD (Para), Lt-Kol Mohd Ashafiq Abdul Aziz, said they prepared 50 lemang sticks on the first day as a trial in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, and all were sold out by 3pm.
“Seeing the very encouraging response, we increased production to 100 sticks on the second day before increasing to about 250 sticks per day, and all are usually sold out by noon,” he said.
“We also give away 10 to 20 lemang sticks every day to the needy, pregnant mothers and the disabled.”
To ensure more people in Terengganu can experience the authenticity of the lemang, the team will increase production to 600 sticks per day until the seventh day of Aidilfitri.
> Harian Metro reported that a Chinese family in Johor has mastered the art of weaving ketupat, turning it into a thriving business at local markets every Raya.
Ng Meng Chee, 63, said she learnt to weave ketupat from her mother-in-law when she was 26 years old.
“At first it was quite difficult, but after trying and trying for six months, I became skilled,” she said.
Ng ropes in her six children to fulfil orders during Ramadan and Hari Raya.
“My children and I can weave about 1,000 ketupat, each sold for 50 to 60sen,” she said.
Besides selling at public markets in Johor Baru, Ng also receives orders from Malay neighbours.
> Actress Uyaina Arshad has set a rule for visitors this Raya: they can hold, but not kiss her baby, Kosmo! reported.
The 34-year-old wants to ensure her baby is protected from germs.
As a result, critics accused her of being overprotective.
“For me, I just turn a deaf ear because the important thing is that my child is healthy. We all know that kissing a newborn baby’s cheek can give the baby an infection,” she said.
Additionally, she told the media that she chose not to be too active in visiting relatives’ homes due to the condition of her young child.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
