With Hari Raya Puasa coming up next month, you might have seen Ramadan bazaars springing up in your neighbourhood over the past few days.
And while most bazaars consist of items that you’d expect to see, that wasn’t the case for a TikTok user who saw a stall selling pork skewers when she visited the Bazar Raya Utara at Marsiling.
Yup, pork skewers, which are clearly not halal, at a Ramadan bazaar.
Here’s what happened and what the organisers have to say.
TikTok User Saw Pork Sticks Sold at Marsiling Ramadan Bazaar
Recently, TikTok user @mvkbudvk posted a video on TikTok to share her experience at the Ramadan Bazaar at Marsiling.
And while the first portion of the 30-second video seemed like a typical food vlog, that soon changed when she inserted a clip which featured a stall selling pork sticks.
Yup, it was even given a close-up on the banner as compared to the other products that they were selling.
In the caption of her video, the TikTok user wrote, “Call it Bazar Raya but got sell babi. I also confused.”
Netizens’ Response
Since posting her video a few days ago, @mvkbudvk’s video has amassed 22,200 views and over 1,100 likes on TikTok.
In the comments section of the video, many netizens expressed their anger at the act of blatant disrespect towards Muslims, especially since the bazaar is to celebrate Ramadan.
On the other hand, one commenter pointed out that members of the public “can’t expect everything to be 100% halal”.
However, the commenter was soon shut down by netizens who pointed out the obvious: The bazaar is a Ramadan bazaar.
Organiser’s Response
After the incident went viral online, the Marsiling Constituency Office uploaded a Facebook post yesterday (27 March) to address the issue.
“Marsiling Constituency Office discovered last weekend that there was a non-compliance at our Bazar Raya Utara in which stalls selling pork were included among the vendors,” the office wrote.
The Marsiling Constituency Office also assured members of the public that they have since contacted the stall operator and “have taken immediate corrective steps to stop the sale of pork”.
Apart from that, the office also apologised for any inconvenience and concern caused amongst the public.
At the end of the post, the office concluded that it would continue to do its best to provide the best Ramadan experience that it can.
“This includes performances during the weekends as well as halal/Muslim-owned and non-halal stalls to cater to all residents,” the office explained.
However, it seems like the Facebook announcement posted by the Marsiling Constituency Office caused its own uproar instead.
In particular, several netizens were upset at how the office still mentioned that non-halal stalls would still be allowed at the bazaar even though they said that they wanted to provide residents with the best Ramadan bazaar experience possible.
In the comments section, some commenters called the office out for their contradicting statements and wrote that they should change the bazaar’s name to “Marsiling Pasar Malam” instead.
Other Facebook users echoed similar sentiments, with some of them pointing out that one would be under the assumption that all items sold at a Ramadan Bazaar would be halal.
One netizen also said that all food stalls should be halal and that those not selling halal-certified foods can still participate in the bazaar through different means, such as by selling clothing or decorations.
