KOTA KINABALU: Amid the bustling streets of the Sembulan Bazaar here, Ramadan is well and truly underway, with locals queuing up at the busy stalls for a delicacy or two to bring back home in time for iftar.
Even the rainy season has failed to dampen the traders' spirits, their enthusiastic cries to promote their wares seemingly growing in volume - after all, for many of them, this was the prime time for business.
In fact, for Yunus Tamin, 35, Ramadhan is the only time his stall, Gerai Yunzah, will feature an exclusive selection of products.
"We sell all kinds of grilled fish and squid only once a year, for one whole month during the fasting period," he said during an interview, intermittenly mingling with passing customers as they eyed his tempting array of seafood.
The jolly-looking trader proceeded to display his cooking, grilling a belawis fish on a hot plate before drizzling a homemade batter of sambal penyet on it, serving it hot and ready for a family who had braved the rain for his dish.
Despite the challenging economic times, Yunus said he feels blessed that his business is doing well.
"These products aren't exactly cheap - ikan belawis, leper, and sulit among others - but we try to negotiate so that at the end, it is affordable... as long as the customers are happy and can have a taste," he said, before chirping up to greet another hungry patron who had queued up in front of his stall.
This year, 700 stalls have been opened throughout Sabah for Ramadan.
Visitors hoping to get a taste of local bites will be spoilt for choice in the numerous bazaars located in Sembulan, Lintasan Deasoka, Kingfisher, Inanam Point Night Market, Manggatal Night Market, Telipok Night Market, Putera Jaya, Tanjung Aru and Likas Bay, among other corporation-organized bazaars in the state capital.