By Natasha Jee & Tania Lam
KUCHING: This year marks the second year that Hari Raya Aidilfitri has to be celebrated with restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been put in place to safeguard everyone’s health and safety, including limiting the celebration to just the first day in the presence of close family members.
Certain activities which are usually in full swing during this special occasion, such as open houses, have been prohibited in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In addition, most Muslim celebrants residing in other states or overseas will be unable to reunite with their family, friends, and loved ones back home in view of border and movement restrictions.
As such, it will certainly be a very moderate celebration this year. Nevertheless, the spirit and meaning of Hari Raya Aidilfitri is still very much alive.
In conjunction with the auspicious occasion, various state leaders and organisations have shared their Raya well-wishes.
Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs and DBKU)
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all Sarawakians who celebrate. Despite feeling sad over not being able to return to our villages or celebrate as usual, we have to make sacrifices in order to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. We can instead be proud to have jointly sacrificed to help fight Covid-19 by adhering to the SOPs. While the Aidilfitri celebration is a day of victory for Muslims, but the Covid-19 SOPs must still be complied with. We still need to take care of ourselves and our families even while celebrating.
Datuk Talib Zulpilip
Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity and Ombudsman)
“This is going to be another quiet Hari Raya. The SOP has to be complied with — no choice, no exceptions. We all must abide. There will be no open house and no visiting this year once again. Another difficult part is that because of Covid-19, many of us will not have children or grandchildren to celebrate the joyous occasion with. Nevertheless, this has to be accepted. We can only hope and pray that Covid-19 will be tamed. For this to happen, it needs our collective will and effort to fully comply with the SOP.
Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all Sarawakians and Muslims celebrating this festival, with the hope that we celebrate this festival on a modest scale and ensure strict compliance and adherence to Covid-19 SOPs as we are still in a pandemic now. I hope the Raya festival will strengthen our ummah and family bonding.
Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom
Utilities Minister
Wishing all our Muslim relatives and friends ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin’. Let’s all collectively adhere to the SOPs set by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC). ‘Kita jaga kita’ (we take care of ourselves) — together, we can break the chain of Covid-19 transmissions.
Datuk Seri Doris Brodie
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Women chief
Here’s wishing all my Muslim relatives and friends ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin’. Please stay safe and keep the celebration confined to your household. Avoid ‘balik kampung’ and adhere to SOP at all times. Practise social distancing — stay in touch without touching.
Mohammad Ibrahim Hamid
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak chairman
Wishing families and friends a Happy Eid Mubarak. With the pandemic still at large, let’s celebrate this second year of Raya static at home and avoid physical contact as much as possible to help curb the spread of Covid-19. We should get used to the new normal and abide by the SOP set by the authorities.
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing
Deputy Chief Minister
I would like to wish all our Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya. As we all know that we are still facing the Covid-19 pandemic, therefore, it is important that we continue to celebrate it in the new norm. Do celebrate it with close family members only and remember to follow all the SOPs set during the festivities.
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all who are celebrating. As Muslims celebrate this important day, I would like to remind all that we have yet to win in combating the spread of Covid-19. We can still see that the number of cases is getting higher day by day across the country. For this reason, I hope that all Malaysians can work together to make sure that we comply with the SOPs. For the time being, celebrate wherever you are and there is no need to go visiting from house to house. Make this as a new norm.
Datuk Chiew Yen Chew
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Women chief
I want to wish all Muslims and Sarawakians that may we continue to celebrate this joyous occasion with joy, peace, and unity. I would also like to convey my special greetings to our frontline leaders, workers, and those who have been involved in taking care and ensuring the safety of people of Sarawak during this pandemic. Selamat Hari Raya. Stay safe and stay healthy.
Kho Teck Wan
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief
I would like to wish Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslim and happy holiday to all. Due to the Covid-19, our celebration this year is limited to immediate family only. I will miss the familiar faces of family and friends, lemang, and ketupat, but being apart is our way to keep our loved ones healthy and safe. Our sacrifice now is to ensure that we will meet again in the future. So, let’s celebrate in spirit together and continue to remain united like we had practised in Sarawak for hundreds of years.
