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Ramadhan is over & so is Aidilfitri... But I can't help reflecting on how much this religious celebration has been commercialised these days. I was out shopping a few days after Aidilfitri & the first thing that caught my eye was the banners & decorations that had been put up, probably during the fasting month, to promote the 'festive occasion'.

There were 'Hari Raya sales', discounts & promotions everywhere, not to mention the constant playing of 'Hari Raya' songs through the sound system. The rush for business owners to attract potential customers starts long before the fasting month even begins, though... urging them to spend, spend, spend & buy, buy, buy. Shop owners professing the high quality of their goods over those sold by others, even though (gasp) that baju kurung you see in one shop is also sold two shops down!

It seems capitalism has been so deeply embedded into our lives that the question most FAQ during this season is not "How much of our ibadah would be accepted this Ramadhan?" but "How many sets of 'baju kurung' are you buying this year?" It's a sorry state of affairs but one which can't be easily repaired. Not easy but definitely not impossible. There was a time when people were devoted to God, religion & country but now the devotion is mostly directed to dead presidents or current monarchs, especially those that appear on a certain piece of paper. The irony of it is, though, that piece of paper in itself doesn't have much value.

So why are we all so hell-bent on chasing that piece of paper, when there is so much to be gotten out of life then that? I suppose it would be easy for me to say as I don't have a family to feed but it's like the principles of supply & demand, isn't it? The higher the demand, the more the supply & the better for the suppliers to demand higher... it's a vicious cycle which has to be broken.

But I suppose I am merely a lone voice shouting against the wind...