CMCO: Patriarch misses mass hari raya gathering

The Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration today is obviously differently from previous years, as there is a need to adapt to the new normal which alters the tradition of visiting.

Abdul Hai Ismail Pakir, 75, is among those who felt the gloom as he used to host the gathering tradition of his extended families on every Hari Raya, but for this year he could only allow his children who are living nearby to visit him.

He said abiding by the new normal is a responsibility and a sacrifice that has to be shouldered by every Malaysian for the common good to break the COVID-19 chain and to eradicate the virus from the face of the earth.

"Without the implementation of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), some 100 family members would have gathered at my home because I'm the eldest of eight siblings.

"So today, after performing the Aidilfitri morning prayers with my children and grandchildren, I immediately made video calls to my other siblings to wish them a happy Hari Raya and asked for forgiveness from each other," he told Bernama here today.

Abdul Hai said his family is complying with the CMCO restriction which only allows a maximum of 20 individuals in the house for today's celebration.

"We are celebrating in moderation. In previous years, we usually prepared many varieties of dishes to fete our relatives and friends who are visiting.

"We are normally very busy on Hari Raya eve as we gathered to gotong-royong for the preparation of all the dishes. But this year we serving few dishes," he said.

Among his must-have favourite for Hari Raya morning is putu mayam in the tradition of his Indian heritage.

-- BERNAMA