After a month of fasting during Ramadan, the arrival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri is made even more meaningful by the “balik kampung” experience. The thought of reuniting with family and friends within the comforts and familiarity of our hometown certainly warms the heart.
Tourism expert Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Kadir Haji Din said the act of balik kampung is a social event for all Malaysians during festive seasons.
It has even become a feel-good expression, he said.
“The fact that the term (balik kampung) is now popular among all Malaysians even without deliberate official sanction suggests that there is a space of common appeal based on shared values such as filial piety, place attachment and collective memories,” he wrote in the academic paper titled Returning home: A reflection on the Malaysian practice of balik kampung.
Some of those memories include staying close together at the home of the elders in the family.
“Ideally, the family members would be happy to rough it out in the grandparents’ home, knowing full well that space in the old house is limited.
“Close relatives would share pillows, sleep, eat and clean plates together while exchanging stories and sharing news of success and misfortunes,” wrote Abdul Kadir.
The past two years of lockdown and movement restrictions have disrupted the balik kampung experience for many Malaysians. Fortunately, many of us will get to go back to our hometowns during this year’s festive seasons.
At the same time, health experts and political leaders have called on Malaysians to continue complying with standard operating procedures during Hari Raya.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob for one, has encouraged travellers to do Covid-19 RTK-AG screening tests before embarking on their journey.
When met by reporters at an event recently, he said self-testing is one of the best methods to curb the spread of Covid-19 and to keep parents and families safe from the virus.Tourism operators and insiders are expecting brisk business during the balik kampung period this year. This is because the Hari Raya celebrations run consecutively after Labour Day, which is tomorrow.
This means that Monday (May 2) is a replacement holiday for Labour Day, while Hari Raya is expected to take place either on May 3 or 4. There are also school holidays on May 5 and 6.
Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chapter chairman Tony Goh, however, was cautiously optimistic about travel bookings.
According to him, hotel bookings are picking up for the first week of May due to the stretched out holiday weekend, but hotels are not yet operating at full capacity. This is because staff shortage is still an issue that plagues the industry.
“Many hotels are facing a shortage of staff and unable to operate all rooms. Most hotels are only able to operate at about 50% of their full capacity,” he reportedly said.
Meanwhile, the number of cars that are expected on the highways is giving a clear indication on the big balik kampung crowd this year.
Traffic on the North-South Expressway is expected to increase by up to 25% to two million vehicles daily, according to PLUS Malaysia.
Its chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi has called on travellers to follow the travel time advisory (TTA) and plan their journey accordingly to avoid traffic congestion.
“As this is the first time Malaysians are allowed to return to their hometown to celebrate Hari Raya in two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we expect about two million vehicles, an increase of 25% of the average 1.6 million vehicles a day, to be on the road.
“Given this, do expect congestion and possibly longer travelling times. Therefore, we advise motorists to plan their journeys to and from their hometowns,” he said in a statement.
Motorists can obtain the latest traffic information via Twitter (@PLUSTrafik), the PLUS app, the PLUSLine hotline (1800-88-0000), Chatbot (PUTRI), and electronic message signs (VMS) at selected locations. You can also follow traffic reports on the radio.
One thing for sure is that revelry will be in the air as Malaysians make their way to their respective hometowns this Hari Raya.
To add to the joyous mood of the festivities, we checked out the types of balik kampung travellers that may be found in Malaysia. Have a good laugh with your loved ones and Selamat Hari Raya!
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