We can both take pride in the achievements we share and have shared over the decades, even centuries, enriching our cultures.

Why we have to fight over batiks, songs and dances? Let’s live peacefully! (blame the Discovery Channel)

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Every year during Ramadan I always get the same reaction when people hear I’m fasting – “Oh dear, you poor thing, you must be starving”. But for Muslims the month of Ramadan is seen as a great blessing and we congratulate each other on its arrival.

When is Ramadan?

Ramadan, the month of fasting, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts either 29 or 30 days. Because Muslims follow a lunar calendar, the official beginning occurs 11 days earlier each year. Throughout a Muslim’s lifetime, Ramadan will fall during bother the winter months (when the days are shorter) and the summer months (when the days are longer and the fast more difficult). In this way the difficulty of the fast is evenly distributed between those living in the northern and southern hemisphere. This year, Ramadan begun on Saturday August 22, 2009.

Why do Muslims fast?

In approximately 610 A.D., the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and told him he had been chosen to receive the word of God. He received these revelations until his death and it is these revelations that form the Quran, the sacred book of Islam. For Muslims, the Quran is God’s literal speech, transmitted through mankind via the Prophet Muhammad, the last of a chain of prophets that included Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus.

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (obligations) of Islam. The Quran says that the main reason behind fasting is to attain taqwa, or God-consciousness.

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you so that you may learn taqwa” (2 : 183).

What does fasting achieve?

During Ramadan, Muslims go through a period of intense reflection and devotion, seeking guidance and forgiveness. Sawm, or fasting, is practiced during the entire month, during which time eating, drinking (including water) and all bodily pleasures are forbidden during the hours of daylight.

When hungry and thirsty, Muslims remember the suffering of the poor. There is an increased compassion for those in need of the basic necessities of life, a sense of self-purification and reflection and a renewed focus on spirituality. Muslims appreciate the feeling of togetherness shared by family and friends throughout the month. It is an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the annual lesson in self restraint and discipline that can carry forward to other aspects of a Muslim’s life such as work and education.

So what’s involved?

The day begins whilst it is still dark and families will wake early for suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After sunset, the fast is ended with a meal known as iftar which traditionally includes dates, water, fresh fruits, appetizers, beverages and dinner.

Other duties during Ramadan include the obligatory five daily prayers as well as the recitation of the tarawih prayer, or night prayer. At mosques during Ramadan, about one-thirtieth of the Quran is recited every night as part of the tarawih prayers. By the end of Ramadan, the entire Quran has been recited. Some Muslims may decide to go into retreat for the last ten days of Ramadan when they spend their time in prayer and spiritual reflect and do not communicate with anyone until the end of Ramadan.

Who is expected to fast?

More than 1 billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan. Fasting is compulsory for those who are mentally and physically fit, past the age of puberty, in a settled situation (i.e. not travelling) and are sure that fasting is unlikely to cause any real physical or mental injury. From about the age of 12, all Muslim children will be encouraged to fast. However, there are some exceptions:

1. people who are mentally incapacitated or not responsible for their actions
2. the elderly
3. the sick
4. pregnant women and nursing mothers
5. women who are menstruating
6. those temporarily unable to fast, must make up the missed days another time, or feed the poor.

How can non-Muslim co-workers and friends help someone who is fasting?

Employers, co-workers and teachers can help by understanding the significance of Ramadan and by showing a willingness to make some allowances for its physical demands. Special consideration can be given to such things as requests for time off, the need for flexible early morning or evening work schedules and lighter homework assignments. Hospital workers should be aware that injections and oral medications might break a person’s fast. Patients should be given the opportunity to decide whether or not their condition exempts them from fasting. It is also important that Muslim workers and students be given time to attend Eid prayers at the end of Ramadan.

What happens at the end of Ramadan?

Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which this year will be round about September 20, 2009. Literally the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims give Zakat al Fitr, a monetary contribution to the poor or their mosques.

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In the initial phase when the government of Malaysia acted on the awareness program to deter people from smoking, the effect may have not been obvious. But these days, smokers have to do a lot more things in order to smoke in public. For instance, the grotesque images placed on the cigarette packs are not acceptable to many at the dining areas for its graphic nature; hence, smokers would now have to hide the packs in their pockets and not make them easily accessible as conveniently placed on the table as before.

Now, having nurtured that awareness and instilling the fear of the horrid outcome that resulted from smoking, I strongly urge the government to now take the next steps in educating the public thoroughly with its health campaigns. Surely the cigarette smokers should not be the only target for the assault, especially when they do not represent the entire national population (although may be accounting for a significant percentage). Let’s start looking into the everyday habitual sins and unhealthy consumption of greasy food, sugar contents, high salt and others.

As a suggestion, I propose a campaign for diabetic threats from sugar consumption. I believed there are bigger population samples as opposed to the national smokers’ statistics that are consuming high sugar contents on a daily basis. This is a frightening concern to the people of Malaysia (and the world too!); especially in some areas where most of the meals are highly doused with sugar itself… like the friendly communities in the Malaysia’s East Coast areas.

Let’s just look at one product, the most popular locally and globally. Its popularity had far breached the reach and capacity of what cigarette brands currently succeed itself with - Coca-Cola.

One of its effects from consumption: Diabetes.

Now, having establish that, lets look at some grotesque images that we can place on the cans to educate people of its health implications from continuous and unmeasured intake.

And then, have them posted on all cans, bottles and other production containment of the drink.

How’s that? One brilliant awareness campaign!

Let’s not stop there. There are other health concerns such as alcoholic drinks, salt, sugar, fast food, Aji-No-Moto, cooking oil and other items.

Let us fill the supermarkets with these awareness campaigns and paint all aisles with grotesque images of the fear that public need to have on consuming these products.

Let’s make the people of Malaysia (and the world) healthier!

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Let me bring things back to basics. I will not deal in anything beyond the necessary basic guidelines to those who are considering of being posted or are currently being posted out of your country of residence.

The key component is communication. If you cannot communicate with the locals, then you are nothing more than just a decoration in the office that does not contribute to anything. In ensuring clarity, comprehension and acceptance to an idea or opinion, two or more parties involved in that discussion must understand each other.

An interesting thing to note is that most Malaysians, based on their background of multi-ethnicity, are capable of multilingual capabilities and despite being in the cultural situation where one has to learn multiple languages, most Malaysians do undertake the initiative to learn an additional language to be more conversant and competitive in an international environment - English, and thus anywhere Malaysians go, despite our strong rooted favor or preference to use our own cultural language, we can still use English for the universal communication with other parties all around the world.

To summarize, the basic things before anything else considered for an international job opportunity is one must Learn English, Speak English, Write English and Read English, and most important is Understand English.

It’s a wonder at times, if most of the mistakes done by management or even in cases where technical situation is involved, could it be because they cannot understand the proposal papers? Or even the manual book?

This is not an advertorial for an English language course, just a basic and common knowledge that I need to impart to those who reads this blog.

And please… it’s English! Not Ingrish or Chinglish!

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