KUALA LUMPUR, 14 June 2017 – Thousands of international tourists visited the Independent Square (Dataran Merdeka) on Jalan Raja last weekend to celebrate the breaking fast event, Iftar@KL.

International tourists and locals were seen sitting side by side on woven mats waiting for the call to prayer before eating typical Ramadan dishes such as bubur lambuk (spiced rice porridge), dates and cake.

While breaking fast together among family and friends seems to be a usual activity for Muslim Malaysians, the international tourists described the experience as exciting and that it was something new and cool.

A tourist from Hungary, Kata Totharsanyi, described it as “a beautiful tradition to see people of all faiths eating together.” Megan Alexander, a first-time tourist to Malaysia from the United Kingdom, said, “Participating in this event opened my eyes to a brand new experience, something I never knew about before.”

"It is great to see the government taking efforts to make the breaking fast event on such a big scale celebration," complimented an Australian-born Muslim tourist, Ahmed Khochaiche, who enjoyed celebrating his first Ramadan in a Muslim nation.

Kevin Long Noll, a Singaporean who was on his second day in Malaysia, said, “It is a meaningful cultural activity, a kind of social gathering event that brings different ethnic groups together.” A Chinese tourist, Hugo He, said, “This event really showcases the harmonious atmosphere in a mixed-culture country like Malaysia.”

Last weekend’s Iftar@KL was jointly hosted by Tourism Malaysia and Islamic Tourism Centre. The Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Datuk SeriMirza Mohammad Taiyab; the Director General of Islamic Tourism Centre, Zulkifly Md Said; as well as the Secretary General of Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Datuk Hj. Ab. Ghaffar bin A. Tambi, were seen distributing food and drinks to passersby.

Held for the third consecutive year, Iftar@KL is a unique event that highlights the Ramadan festivities such as preparation and distribution of bubur lambuk, tourism exhibitions, nasyid performances, Ramadan talks, communal prayers and other activities.

Iftar@KL is organised by the National Department for Culture and Arts, with cooperation from Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), Department of Federal Territory Islamic Affairs, the National Heritage Department, and Masjid Jamek Kampong Bahru.

Entrance is free and the public are invited to participate in the event and enjoy complimentary simple Iftar meals.

ENDS

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