Kuala Lumpur, during the fasting month of Ramadhan, serves as a magnet for certain people who, by some stroke of misfortune, are more dependent on the benevolence of society than others.

Malaysians and foreigners recognise that if there is no better time to tap that benevolence than Ramadhan, when good deeds and acts of charity are especially encouraged.

For blind couple Yusof and Jamilah, the fasting month offers slightly more cheer to their lives as their hands return to their pockets with a few more ringgit and coins compared to the rest of the year.

Yusof says that the festive mood amongst the people allows him to afford a new set of clothes for him and his wife to adorn during their brief return to their village homes in the northern state of Perak.

"During the fasting month, I earn perhaps RM50 a day, compared to the RM20 - RM30 on other days. At least I can buy a new set of clothes for my family for the Aidilfitri celebrations," he said when met near the Masjid Jamek LRT station in Kuala Lumpur.

"For people like me, we get to buy new clothes only once a year, during Hari Raya," he said further.

Jamilah surprised this reporter, however, when she remarked that she visits the malaysiakini website from time to time in order to find out about what's going on inside the country and on its borders.

Blind from birth, Jamilah says she does not get the opportunity to know of the contents of newspapers as nobody reads to her the daily news.

Competition is fierce

"However, malaysiakini, that one I know of. Unlike many other newspapers, the Malaysian Association for the Blind subscribes to malaysiakini and I can listen to what is written through the voice program that they have with the PC," said Jamilah.

Jamilah also noted that while Malaysians are willing to part with slightly more money during Ramadhan, competition also steps up between seekers of such charity.

"Places like the old Globe Silk Store on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Bukit Bintang, and such places. There's too much competition for us to get much in those locations," she said.

When approached, Rohingya refugee Ibrahim Kalamya said he has not returned to his native Burma as the military junta there would not allow Rohingyas to re-enter their own country.

Ibrahim added that since coming to Malaysia five years ago, he has celebrated Hari Raya at Masjid Pakistan in Chow Kit.

Egyptian Muhammad Abdul Qadir echoed the same sentiments when expressing his appreciation for the relative prosperity with which he can celebrate Hari Raya.

"Alhumdulillah , there's always a lot of food, a lot of happiness, a lot of celebrations. I am very happy to be here. I've been here ten years. Though I return annually to my Egypt to see my family, I always come back to Malaysia," said Muhammad, who works as a labourer.