Malaysians look forward to more time with family and friends

Curtain call: Ahmad Masyadi and sister Marlissa helping their mother Fatimah to put up new curtains at their house in George Town. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: For siblings Marlissa Ilya Amani Che Mansoor and Ahmad Masyadi Hussaini, the additional public holiday for Hari Raya Aidilfitri will give them more time to be with family and friends whom they have not met in the past few months.

Medical student Marlissa, 23, said the extra holiday will also make life easier for those who want to return to their hometowns to make preparations for the Raya celebration.

“Although I have planned my holiday, the extra day allows me and my brother to make early preparations to come home to Penang,” she said.

Ahmad Masyadi, 27, a designer who lives in Damansara, Petaling Jaya, said the additional holiday allows Malaysians to plan their balik kampung trip.

“Unlike last year’s rush home, I hope that the additional public holiday this year will make it easier for those who want to return home for Hari Raya,” he said.

Ahmad Masyadi said he celebrated the festival modestly last year due to work commitments, but this year he is looking forward to meeting his relatives and friends.

Marlissa, who is studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang, Selangor, and her brother arrived at their home in Taman Manggis People’s Housing Project (PPR) here on Tuesday.

Marlissa will return to the university on April 25.

This Raya, she yearns to eat her favourite tomato rice and ayam masak merah prepared by her mother.

Their mother, Fatimah Zahrah Abdul Rahman, 59, said her two other children are expected to be home on the eve of Hari Raya.

“This year will be a joyful occasion as all my children and five grandchildren are celebrating it here,” she said.

The family, however, will miss her husband, who passed away on March 29 last year, she added.

Fatimah Zahrah said the extra public holiday is a good gesture from the Prime Minister and the Federal Government as it allows families to have more time to bond with each other during the festival.

She said her children and grandchildren have requested their favourite foods.

“I’ve prepared everything for cooking the dishes they like to eat during Raya,” she said, adding that lontong and ketupat will be on the menu too.

On Tuesday, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an additional public holiday for the coming Aidilfitri celebrations.

He said this was to allow the public to make travel plans and prepare for the festivities.

If the first day of Syawal falls tomorrow, then the public holiday will be on Monday (April 24); and if it falls on Saturday, then tomorrow will be an extra holiday.

The additional public holiday is based on Section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951 for Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan.

For Sabah and Sarawak, the state governments can declare the date a public holiday accordingly.