Celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with grateful heart - Annuar

KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa has urged Muslims in the country to celebrate Aidilfitri with gratitude after the country entered the transition phase to endemic.

He said that as the result of the consensus, cooperation, patience and various efforts by all parties, the people can finally return to almost normal life.

"Alhamdulillah, Aidilfitri is here again. Insya-Allah this year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri can be celebrated in a different atmosphere compared to the two previous years.

"This means the Hari Raya celebration will see the reunion of families, the crossing of borders, we can fulfill our prayer obligations just like normal times. It is a blessing, the result of our joint success and victory," he said in a video message in conjunction with Aidilfitri that was uploaded to the Facebook page of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia today.

Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, meanwhile, seemed to understand the difficulties faced by the people who mostly did not expect to celebrate Aidilfitri tomorrow (Monday).

"Confirmed! Tomorrow we celebrate Aidilfitri. But some are still on their way back to their villages. Perhaps many have yet to prepare their lemang, ketupat and rendang. Let's all together get busy in the kitchen tonight. Selamat #HariRaya #Aidilfitri. Maaf zahir dan batin!," he tweeted.

Minister of Rural Development Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid expressed his gratitude as Malaysians could return home to their villages for Hari Raya this time after a two-year hiatus.

"Return to your hometowns, to your beloved families. For this Raya celebration, I pray that all Malaysians that I love will safely return to their villages and hometowns. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri," he said.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, meanwhile, said this year's Hari Raya celebrations would be more joyful now that the country's borders and economic activities had been reopened and people could return to their villages and hometowns.

"The celebration this year will further strengthen relationships that have endured a long separation for the sake of everyone's safety and health," he tweeted.

National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique took the opportunity to seek forgiveness in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

"With humility in my heart, I take this opportunity to ask for forgiveness for any mistakes I have made. Taqabbalallahu Minna Wa Minkum," she said.

Meanwhile, National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that due to drastic measures taken by the government since the onset of the pandemic, Malaysians can now celebrate Aidilfitri as in previous years.

He expressed gratitude that several of MPN's recommendations were endorsed by the government, among them the reopening of the country's borders and the transition to endemic phase that became the exit strategy for the people to resume normal lives once again.

-- BERNAMA