Blast from the past: Residents of Taman Klebang Putra 1 in Ipoh walk along the street with the rebana chanting wake-up calls for those taking the pre-dawn meal before fasting. — Bernama
IPOH: During the month of Ramadan, residents in Taman Klebang Putra 1 here rouse themselves up for the sahur or pre-dawn meal to the beat of the rebana, a traditional Malay tambourine-like instrument.
They are reviving the traditional way of giving the wake-up call.
Since the first day of fasting, a group of over 50 people, including children, have been walking for 3km around the residential area for 30 minutes from 3.30am, calling out to the rest of the residents to wake up to the beating of the rebana.
Klebang Putra 1 Rukun Tetangga Club chairman Dr Mohamad Azrul Azly, 36, said the programme, which was being held for the first time in the area, helped to bridge the gap between residents in the area.
“We wanted to do something different this Ramadan and decided on this programme to revive the tradition,” he said when met by reporters after completing the wake-up call yesterday.
According to Bernama, Mohamad Azrul said the club was also considering reviving the rebana club to attract more participants.
Participating in the wake-up call programme, Muhammad Adam Chua Abdullah, 54, who embraced Islam 10 years ago, said it gave him the opportunity to get to know more people in the neighbourhood.
“Family members, even children, can join. This is a new experience for me and I think it is necessary for the local community to participate in this programme because we all get to sahur together,” he said.
