Lo Yee Jhin Finds Ramadan Fasting A Meaningful Experience

By Atira Khalisha Nor Adnan

BANGI, March 8 (Bernama) -- While many students his age enjoy meals during the day, Lo Yee Jhin, 15, chooses to refrain from food and drink from dawn to sunset to experience fasting during Ramadan alongside his Muslim friends.

Affectionately known as Eugene, the student of Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara (PPPN) said that the experience of fasting has been meaningful for him, as it indirectly instils self-discipline and teaches the value of moderation.

He said that the routine of waking up early for sahur (pre-dawn meal) with his Muslim friends at the hostel makes Ramadan a unique and memorable experience.

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“I realise that fasting teaches me to be more disciplined because there are set times for sahur and breaking-of-fast. It also teaches me to become a better person because I once saw on TikTok that Muslims should avoid doing bad things so that the fast does not become meaningless.

“For me, Ramadan is about being kind to others. Fasting also helps us practise self-control, such as refraining from eating and drinking even when we feel hungry. We also have to manage our emotions,” he said when met by Bernama here yesterday.

Eugene admitted that fasting becomes more challenging when going through daily activities, especially after exercising, but his determination to experience Ramadan keeps him going.

He said his desire to try fasting stemmed from curiosity and a wish to better understand the experiences of his Muslim friends, as well as his awareness that the practice also exists in his own religious tradition.

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“In Christianity, there is also fasting, usually for 40 days. But the method is different. For Christians, we eat two half meals and cannot eat meat except seafood. However, I follow the Islamic way of fasting until sunset,” he said.

This year marks the first time he is attempting to fast throughout the entire month of Ramadan after trying it for about a week last year.

The teenager said his decision also surprised his friends and teachers at school, who initially did not expect him to be able to refrain from food and drink like other Muslim students.

“Many of them are surprised that I am fasting for the whole month, but what really touched me is how supportive they have been in helping me stay motivated,” he said, adding that he plans to fast again next year.

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Meanwhile, his teacher Raja Muhammad Imran Raja Abdul Aziz shared that throughout his five years serving at the school, there have been a handful of non-Muslim students who chose to fast, either to experience it themselves or after being encouraged by their Muslim friends.

“I see this as a form of empathy and respect for their friends who are fasting. Seeing their friends abstain from food encourages them to do the same,” he said.

-- BERNAMA