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Bracing for an unusual Raya

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Farzly helps his children set off fireworks at his residence in Samariang. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

KUCHING: A popular Hari Raya song, the late Sudirman’s ‘Balik Kampung’ is not on Awang Fardillah Awang Hussin’s playlist this year. Perhaps Tan Sri P Ramlee’s ‘Dendang Perantau’ would be more apt because he will celebrate the festival away from his childhood home. Sharifah Aini’s ‘Selamat Hari Raya’ could also be added to stave off some of the sadness of observing the day without his parents.

Awang Fardillah Awang Hussin

Awang Fardillah’s home is in Kapit. The 37-year-old public relations officer with the state’s Rural Water Supply Department was teary eyed as he completed the approaching festival.

“Whenever I return to my village, my mother prepares my favourite dishes and we would gather together when breaking the fast. I can vividly remember how my parents welcome me home. They usually sit at the doorway, waiting for my arrival,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when met at his relative’s house in Bandar Baru Semariang recently.

Due to the conditional movement control order (CMCO) which prohibits people from going back to their hometowns or villages for the Raya, Awang Fardillah has to stay put in Kuching where he will celebrate with his relatives.

“Hari Raya in the village is always fun, but with that counted out, I am looking forward to celebrating Raya with my aunt and uncle,” he said.

“We are planning to cook scrumptious must-haves like chicken rendang, ketupat and beef curry. I will not let this Covid-19 crisis dampen my Hari Raya spirit.”

For Kuchingite Hadzman Johny, celebrating Hari Raya amid the pandemic does not mean that the festival would be meaningless.

Hadzman Johny

He said instead celebrators should find ways to adapt to the new norms so that they could get on with life nicely.

“This Hari Raya is the first in modern history as congregational Eid prayers on the first day of Syawal, Raya visits and open houses are replaced with home-based activities. Even so, I don’t think celebrators would find ways to enjoy the occasion,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when contacted recently.

Sharing some of his tips on getting into mood for Hari Raya, Hadzman, a Kuching native said that his entire family have well agreed to spend Aidilfitri by staying at home, being all dressed up, be suited and spruced in their traditional attires.

“We don’t want Covid-19 to spoil our Hari Raya. Normally during Hari Raya, Sarawakians, especially the men, wear ‘baju Melayu’ for a whole week. Thus, my family has decided to keep the tradition,” he said.

Although there is some excitement as they wait for the day itself, he admitted that this year would be different and tough.

“With the closed-house policy and the banning of ‘balik kampung’, I feel sad because people would self-isolate. I am fortunate because all my family members are in the same town,” he said.

Unlike Hadzman, Hasbi Raini, a worker at Batang Rambungan Ferry in Lundu, is not going to celebrate Hari Raya with his family.

Hasbi Raini

Originally from Betong, he said he would spend the days with his fellow workers.

“I can’t go home for Raya because I have to work during Hari Raya itself. I don’t mind it, though, as long as my family is safe. It is not worth breaching the CMCO just to be with my family. The pandemic is still out there,” he said when approached at the ferry recently.

The experience of celebrating Raya away from his family is also felt by Shafiq Phua from Oya in Mukah Division.

According to the 27-year-old working in Kota Samarahan, this would be his first time ever celebrating Raya without his family.

Asked whether he has any relative in Kuching, he said most of his relatives were in Petra Jaya.

“I don’t know whether I will go to my aunt’s house in Gita because I am quite confused about some of the announcements regarding inter-state and inter-district or inter-division travel,” he said.

“This will be my first time being apart from my family during Raya. Of course, I miss my mother the most. It’s hard to imagine how my Raya will be.”

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