For two consecutive days on weekends I went out to Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Mesjid India. Where else to shop in Kuala Lumpur where you can get everything for the Aidil Fitri celebration at one stop and at a bargainable price. Jalan Mesjid India is the nucleus every year especially for Muslims and Indians alike during their annual festivals. The place together with Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman make it a place worth a visit eventhough not during festive season.
At Jalan Mesjid India, one can buy Indian goods and wear, while on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman there are textile shops such as Kamdar, Nagoya, Globe Silk Store etc. Between these two roads there are small bazaar selling textiles and silks which can be bought at wholesale price. Then one can visit another shopping complex such as Semua House, Sogo, Pertama and once popular Campbell complex. If you come from outside Kuala Lumpur and need more time to spend at this area, there are budget hotels to stay and do all your shopping with ease without the problem of traffic jam and parking. I had a friend who came from Miri and stayed at one of the hotel and did his shopping here.
On both afternoons I went out it was raining. As usual took the LRT from Bukit Jalil and embark at Stesen Mesjid Jamek. Luckily DBKL build shades along the road leading to Kompleks PKNS before entering Jalan Mesjid India. At least there is some shade to shelter from the drizzle. On the first day I did not do much shopping whereby my wife bought some cloth for the curtain. Then rush back to get back home before the breaking of the fast.
I took my family out again to the same place on the second day, Sunday 7th Oct and this time my plan is to buy the Baju Melayu for my son. At home the weather was fine but halfway on the LRT, it started to drizzle and upon reaching Stesen Mesjid Jamek, it was already raining. Event though not heavy but enough to keep many people at bay. At the exit of the station, there is a lady selling umbrella at RM5.00 each. What a time to do business. She really know when to sell things. She does not do business when it is sunny.
Bought a Baju Melayu for my son at a price of RM 32.90. And for myself also a set of Baju Melayu for RM 59.90. Shopping time is not over and since the time of breaking of fast is very near, we decided that there's no time to get back home. What more there is no cooked food at home so decided to just break the fast in the area. There are stalls selling food and it is specially set up by BDKL just for the fasting month. Bought some food for breaking of fast but there's no comfortable place to sit. We just sat on the five foot way, just like many other shoppers like us. So we did not feel like we are vagrants or homeless people.
After breaking of fast we went to Semua House at the end of Jalan Mesjid India. I decided to have my Maghrib prayer and found out the the room that has been turned into a surau is very small. At one time it can just accommodate six people to pray. There were many people waiting outside on the way leading into the Male and Female toilet. I think the planning of the toilet is not right. I am not an architect nor an engineer or a building designer. A man who want to go to the Gents has to walk past the Female toilet and easily peep what is inside. The location is also quite hidden and this pose some danger to the Females especially.
While waiting outside for my turn to pray, I was wondering why does the authority make a rule that all building have a planned surau instead of a make shift room that has no commercial value. Usually Muslim prayer room in buildings are located somewhere hidden and difficult for people to reach. Malaysia in the Constitution is a secular country but the government says it is an Islamic country because Islam is the official religion, majority of the people are Muslims and we now practice Islam Hadhari. Performing the prayer five times a day is one of the pillars of Islam and is compulsory. Since it is compulsory and prayer can be performed anywhere, but as a respect to the religion there should be a proper place for them to pray. I think the authority should make it a rule that when planning a building, one of the place that has to be in the plan is a surau and located at a place easily accessible and not just at one empty corner and difficult to find. It should be part of the building landscape or maybe a landmark and this can be an image to country that we respect Islam as the official religion.
At Jalan Mesjid India, one can buy Indian goods and wear, while on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman there are textile shops such as Kamdar, Nagoya, Globe Silk Store etc. Between these two roads there are small bazaar selling textiles and silks which can be bought at wholesale price. Then one can visit another shopping complex such as Semua House, Sogo, Pertama and once popular Campbell complex. If you come from outside Kuala Lumpur and need more time to spend at this area, there are budget hotels to stay and do all your shopping with ease without the problem of traffic jam and parking. I had a friend who came from Miri and stayed at one of the hotel and did his shopping here.
On both afternoons I went out it was raining. As usual took the LRT from Bukit Jalil and embark at Stesen Mesjid Jamek. Luckily DBKL build shades along the road leading to Kompleks PKNS before entering Jalan Mesjid India. At least there is some shade to shelter from the drizzle. On the first day I did not do much shopping whereby my wife bought some cloth for the curtain. Then rush back to get back home before the breaking of the fast.
I took my family out again to the same place on the second day, Sunday 7th Oct and this time my plan is to buy the Baju Melayu for my son. At home the weather was fine but halfway on the LRT, it started to drizzle and upon reaching Stesen Mesjid Jamek, it was already raining. Event though not heavy but enough to keep many people at bay. At the exit of the station, there is a lady selling umbrella at RM5.00 each. What a time to do business. She really know when to sell things. She does not do business when it is sunny.
Bought a Baju Melayu for my son at a price of RM 32.90. And for myself also a set of Baju Melayu for RM 59.90. Shopping time is not over and since the time of breaking of fast is very near, we decided that there's no time to get back home. What more there is no cooked food at home so decided to just break the fast in the area. There are stalls selling food and it is specially set up by BDKL just for the fasting month. Bought some food for breaking of fast but there's no comfortable place to sit. We just sat on the five foot way, just like many other shoppers like us. So we did not feel like we are vagrants or homeless people.
After breaking of fast we went to Semua House at the end of Jalan Mesjid India. I decided to have my Maghrib prayer and found out the the room that has been turned into a surau is very small. At one time it can just accommodate six people to pray. There were many people waiting outside on the way leading into the Male and Female toilet. I think the planning of the toilet is not right. I am not an architect nor an engineer or a building designer. A man who want to go to the Gents has to walk past the Female toilet and easily peep what is inside. The location is also quite hidden and this pose some danger to the Females especially.
While waiting outside for my turn to pray, I was wondering why does the authority make a rule that all building have a planned surau instead of a make shift room that has no commercial value. Usually Muslim prayer room in buildings are located somewhere hidden and difficult for people to reach. Malaysia in the Constitution is a secular country but the government says it is an Islamic country because Islam is the official religion, majority of the people are Muslims and we now practice Islam Hadhari. Performing the prayer five times a day is one of the pillars of Islam and is compulsory. Since it is compulsory and prayer can be performed anywhere, but as a respect to the religion there should be a proper place for them to pray. I think the authority should make it a rule that when planning a building, one of the place that has to be in the plan is a surau and located at a place easily accessible and not just at one empty corner and difficult to find. It should be part of the building landscape or maybe a landmark and this can be an image to country that we respect Islam as the official religion.
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