Malaysia’s Animated Night Markets

Markets are the lifeblood of any society. They often provide visitors with a valuable insight into the culture and traditions of a community. Malaysia is like other countries in South-East Asia is known for its vibrant local markets, centers of trade which open for business towards the end of the day.
The Malaysian version of a night market is known as ‘pasar malam’ and it is hosted in most towns and cities around Malaysia on a regular basis. A truly surprising fact, for Malaysia is a rapidly developing economy where malls and shopping centers are springing up all the time.

A night market in Malaysia doesn’t necessarily mean it opens for business only at nights, some ‘pasar malams’ in fact open their doors as early as 3pm and stay open until 11 pm or even later.

These night markets are colorful bustling centers of trade and commerce and they attract patrons of all ages especially office-goers who enjoy stopping by these ‘pasar malams’ on their way home after a day the office. The gaily decorated make-shift kiosks at these markets offer a wide variety of products like vegetables, fruits, apparel, toys, household wares and a selection of accessories.

Regular night-market customers are known to aver that the goods offered at ‘the pasar malams’ are priced lower than at malls and supermarkets. Moreover, bargaining is an accepted norm at these markets so market-goers believe that they are getting a deal by shopping at these ‘pasar malams’.

Offerings of cooked food are yet another important feature of these Malaysian nightmarkets. Both locals and tourists enjoy visiting these markets to sample delicious local eats like Nasi Kerabu (fried chicken flavored with galangal and served with rice), Asam Laksa, Briyani, Satays, roti tarbus and more.

Some much frequented ‘pasar malams’ in Malaysia include:

Kuala Lumpur

• The Little India night market which is held along KL’s Jalan Abdual Tunku Rahman( Jalan TAR) on Saturday nights between 5pm and 11pm.
• The Bangsar Baru night market is held on Sundays from 5pm until 1am
• The Petaling Street Market is held daily from 6pm onwards
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• The Petaling Jaya SS2 night market assembles on Mondays from 6pm onwards.
• The Taman Connaught night market in Cheras is reputed to be the longest night market in Kuala Lumpur and is open for business daily.

Penang

The hugely popular Batu Ferringhi night market is open daily from 3pm onwards.

Sarawak

The Lembangan Market is the best place to get a real taste of Sarawak. This market has a carnival-like atmosphere and is populated by more than 700 stalls offering a wide array of products like toys, garments, electrical products, dry and cooked foods along with a fascinating assortment of products sourced from the jungles of Borneo like snakes, snails, turtles, flying foxes, edible jungle fruits, ferns and more.

If you enjoy browsing through market stalls and  testing your bargaining skills, then a visit to a Malaysian pasar malam is definitely recommended.