Ramadan bazaars go online in SE Asia

KUALA LUMPUR－For 15 years, Siti Zabedah Abdul Wahab's family food business has sold murtabak, a pan-fried bread stuffed with meat, at Malaysia's popular Ramadan bazaars, which open for just one month a year.

But this year, Murtabak Mami Murtabak Sultan started taking orders on WhatsApp and Facebook weeks before the Muslim fasting month began on Thursday, as authorities across Southeast Asia called off Ramadan bazaars due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is the first time we are selling online, so we wanted to start early to make sure our customers can find us," 38-year-old Siti Zabedah said.