Rise in Aidiladha sacrifices benefits B40 families

For a good cause: Yuskamarul (left) giving out packets of meat during Hari Raya Haji at Masjid Kongsi in Balik Pulau, Penang. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

BALIK PULAU: Hundreds of low-income families on this side of Penang island received fresh meat from 14 sacrificial cows to mark Hari Raya Aidiladha.

Thirteen cows were contributed by better-off villagers from the community, with an additional cow donated by the Penang Governor’s Charity Foundation.

Kampung Kongsi’s mosque committee chairman Yuskamarul Anuar Yusop said the slaughtering and meat distribution effort involved over 200 volunteers.

“This has been our tradition since the mosque was established in the 1860s. We want every household to receive some meat so that they can cook and eat it with their family members,” he said, adding that the number of cows sacrificed yesterday was more than in previous years.

Yuskamarul, 41, said it was heartening to see that the volunteers this year were mostly local youths because this ensured that the tradition, not to mention the skills involved in butchering and sharing the fresh meat evenly, would be passed down to future generations.

He said the mosque committee wanted Muslim youths to feel comfortable at the mosque and dispel any misconceptions that mosques are only for the elderly.

Penang Governor’s Charity Foundation chief executive officer Datuk Seri Rozali Mohamud said the foundation delivered 252 cows to 212 mosques and 25 surau across the state.

He said it was a 2.52-fold increase from the previous year’s 100 cows.

“This increase in participation from donors reflects their confidence in the foundation’s ‘korban’ management,” he said in a statement.

Rozali added that a total of 13,500 B40 households were expected to benefit from this initiative, with each one receiving at least 2kg of beef.