COMMENT | I come from a multireligious, multiracial and multicultural family. We celebrate Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali. As stereotypical as it may seem, food is one of the things that bring us all together. How typically Malaysian, right?

This harmony may seem very superficial, but it requires deep respect, acceptance and understanding between my family members in order to get along and live as one big happy family.

Every time a big festival rolls up in the year, the visiting of homes starts to happen, and that leads to the eating of food.

When it is Chinese New Year, we will all be eating Chinese food. The reunion dinner table will be filled with chai choy, steamed fish, abalone and mushroom broccoli, etc.

When it is Hari Raya, the morning after prayers is when we fill our stomachs with laksa Johor, lontong and beef rendang. When Deepavali comes around, the assortment of curries fills our mouths.

Everyone will be cooking everything and there has never been any question whether the food we serve among ourselves is halal or not, if there is beef or not, or if it is vegetarian-friendly and so on.

The Muslims in our family are confident enough to know that we will never be served non-halal food. The Hindus will know