Young Malaysian arts practitioners share their Hari Raya homecoming joy

Tengku Hadif, a pianist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, is celebrating this Hari Raya back at his hometown Kota Baru in Kelantan. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong

Like any sweet tooth, Tengku Mohamad Hadif remembers vividly of his cheeky younger years when he used to secretly steal raw cookie dough and cake batter every time his mother baked in the kitchen for Hari Raya.

“She would always scold me but... I didn’t care. I still liked it! Sometimes, I would even save some in a plastic container so that I can eat the cookie dough later!” shares the 21-year-old, bursting into his charming boyish laughter in a recent Zoom interview.