KUALA LUMPUR: Non-Muslim students from some public universities have been finding it hard to buy food on campus during the fasting month because café operators have limited their operating hours.
To minimise losses during fasting month, these cafes would temporarily suspend operations or choose to open later in the day, such as a few hours before breaking fast.
This has forced students who aren't fasting to rely on dry food or to go off campus in search of food, particularly for breakfast and lunch. Those unable to do so due to time or financial constraints find themselves having to skip meals or fork out quite a bit to order online.
"Many of us have to resort to dry food choices like instant noodles, crackers, or bread since we're not allowed to cook in our dormitories.
"We occasionally order food from online platforms for delivery. Some students even purchase their meals in advance so that they can have it for breakfast or lunch the next day," said Sanjeevi Nair Gopalan, a third year biology student from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
However, ordering online is not always an option for university students who are surviving on limited funds.
Bernama did a quick survey of the cost of a meal on public university campuses around peninsular Malaysia and found it between RM3 and RM10.
However, for Universiti Malaysia Perlis student Bairavi Kalaidasan, meals at the campus cafeteria generally costs less than RM10.
"A meal bought through online platforms, however, costs more than RM10 as it also includes the delivery fee.
"All cafes in the university are closed for breakfast or lunch (during the fasting month) except for one, so we end up buying bread and biscuits from the mini-mart near our university," said the second year electrical engineering student.
This has caused many of these students to inevitably go above their monthly budget.
"I do spend more than I should during the fasting month," said Prisca Empiang Robin, a second-year journalism student from UiTM Shah Alam.
A check with Universiti Utara Malaysia revealed that cafes around the campus start operating by noon.
"This is so that non-Muslim students can buy their meals," said the representative known only as Masri.
In Terengganu, a state government circular states that Muslim-owned eateries cannot start operating before 3pm during the fasting month.
The president of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu's student representative council Hisyamuddin Sazali said that all on-campus eateries abide by the rule, but exceptions can be made if the student representative council steps in.
"The council has actually forwarded this issue to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Student Affairs and Alumni, asking that on-campus cafes be opened earlier for non-Muslim students. Some operators have agreed to this," he said.
Kelantan also imposes similar prohibitions that affect eateries on state campuses.
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan student, Mathinisha Subramaniam suggests that perhaps the university could consider allowing non-Muslim café operators on campus.
"Non-Muslim students will able to buy food when they need to eat instead of waiting for the other cafes to open. Alternatively, universities can perhaps provide free meals to non-Muslim students (before 3pm)," said the second-year materials technology student.
Sanjeevi echoed her suggestion and expressed hope that UKM's college administration could consider providing meals for non-Muslim students on campus.
Alternatively, non-Muslim students could try fasting alongside their Muslim friends in an effort to learn and experience more, she said. – Bernama