MELAKA: To ensure compliance to standard operating procedures (SOP), in efforts to fight COVID-19, a group of residents at Kampung Bukit Piatu here has set up a drive-thru 'station' to distribute the much-awaited free bubur lambuk (rice porridge) this Ramadan.

Project manager Baharom Sulaiman, 57, said the drive-thru approach was adopted during Ramadan last year when the country was under the Movement Control Order (MCO) to avoid mass gathering.

"The drive-thru station is back again this year but this time, distribution will begin at 2 pm instead of 5 pm to avoid traffic congeston.

"Last year, we only prepared two big pots of bubur lambuk but this year, we have increased it to three as one pot can provide up to 170 packets," he said when met by reporters here, today.

He said a total of 45 kilograms (kg) of rice, 12 kg of beef and 12 kg of coconut milk are used to make one pot of bubur lambuk, using the same recipe to cook the porridge at Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, which had been an all-time favourite dish during the fasting month.

The tradition of handing out bubur lambuk started about 26 years ago by a group of villagers.

"However the first generation of bubur lambuk cooks had passed on, so it is now left to me and my friends to carry on the tradition.

"We need RM500 to prepare one big pot of bubur lambuk and we start to prepare the ingredients at 7 am so that by the time Zohor prayer is over, the packed porridge will be ready for distribution," he said.

He said the bubur lambuk drive thru would continue to operate until the 27th day of Ramadan to enable those involved to prepare for Hari Raya celebration.

-- BERNAMA