Malaysia’s first vegan outlet on a mission with passion

Vegan District sells meat-free burgers and curry puffs. (Pic from Vegan District Facebook page)

When you first hear the name “Vegan District”, you’d be forgiven if you imagined an area with at least a few vegan outlets. Not so, you’ll soon find out.

Vegan District is actually a single shop in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, selling fully vegan products – the first such in the country.

Owner Y Ratnasingam was asked “why”. Smiling, he said: “It’s just a nice name… there’s no particular reason. But I do hope that one day, this whole area will be full of vegan shops and will indeed become a vegan district.”

That’s very optimistic of him, especially as his shop is located right next to a restaurant selling beef noodles.

But that is the enthusiasm of this young man who wants to transform people into vegans. He knows the risks involved as the vegan community is still small, although growing.

Would he get enough support from the vegan community?

Ratnasingam, who opened Vegan District last month, said: “Yes, I think I will get support. Already people are coming to my shop for their vegan needs. Also, I’m not crazy about profits; I want to support the vegan, plant-based community.”

He has a sales pitch ready: “If you are a vegan or vegetarian and you go to a mall or grocery store, you will have to read the labels on the food products to make sure you are picking the right stuff.

Sometimes you may pick up some product and later, at home, when you read the fine print you may find there’s some meat derivative in it. Horror!

“When you come to my shop, you don’t have to worry. I have made the selection for you and you can be assured that it is vegan.”

Vegans can get anything from kimchi to cupcakes at Vegan District. (Pic from Vegan District Facebook page)

He’s proud to be the first fully vegan grocer in the country but admits he needs to stock up on more products.

Vegan District sells vegan meat and cheese, biscuits, snacks, supplements, personal care products and pet food.

“The concept is this: Anything that you can find in a normal grocer or supermarket, you can find here – and it will be fully vegan.

“I sell mock meat, cheese, ice cream, chocolates. I try to have a variety of locally made and imported stuff. I want to support local makers of vegan products.

“The specialty here is vegan meat from South Africa, the well-known Frys brand. I also have Malaysian-made vegan frozen pizzas.”

Vegan District sells vegan meat and cheese, biscuits, snacks, supplements, personal care products and pet food.

But isn’t vegan food expensive?

“Vegan food is not expensive. Some people think it is expensive and so don’t go into veganism. I’m trying to make it affordable as my goal is to get more people to try vegan food.”

Vegan District does not sell even honey. Why? “People collect honey. Basically it is stealing the honey from the bees. Or if you farm, you trap the queen bee or clip its wings. It’s ethically wrong.”

Ratnasingam, who was born in Kuala Lumpur but raised in Seremban, said he has been a vegan for 10 years.

The accounting graduate said when he was about 18 years old, he became interested in knowing why eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism promoted vegetarianism.

“I found out that it was about not harming animals as animals are also like us – they know pain and they want to live and they want their children to live. Soon I became a vegetarian.

“Later I found out that the dairy industry was treating animals cruelly, that the average life of a milking cow is only six years when its natural lifespan is 20 years. I read stuff like this and came to know about veganism and I turned vegan.”