PETALING JAYA: The moment when the first notes of Balik Kampung by the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad drift through the air, something shifts.
Highways swell, bus and train terminals come alive and hearts grow restless.
Across the country, one journey takes centrestage – the journey home for Hari Raya.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Kuala Lumpur was bustling.
From sleepy-eyed travellers clutching their bags to families braving long waits, all have the same destination: home.
For 24-year-old hospital worker Adlie Rashdan, this year’s journey carries a special meaning.
He is taking the bus home to Kuala Terengganu, something he has missed for long.
“In previous years, I spent Hari Raya in Kuala Lumpur with relatives. This time, I finally get to go home,” he said when met at TBS yesterday.
Like for so many others, cost played a role in his decision.
“Flight tickets are expensive now. I’m just grateful I managed to get a bus ticket and can reach my hometown before Raya,” said Adlie, who was at the terminal two hours early to avoid missing his ride.
Nurse Hazimah Ibrahim, 35, meanwhile, was missing her family.
For a decade, she has lived apart from husband Mohd Khairul Yusoff, 41, and their children, Khalish Haziq, eight, and Khalisha Humaira, three, as she is stationed in Melaka while her family remains in Kota Baru.
The annual rush is nothing new to her.
“I’m used to the crowds. After 10 years, it becomes routine,” she said.
Her journey yesterday, however, was not home to Kota Baru. It was back to Melaka for work.
“It’s my turn to work during Raya, so I went back earlier to see them. Of course I feel sad... but this is my responsibility,” she said.
Even her journey back to Melaka was testing.
She had to wait for more than four hours for the bus to arrive.
“They said the highway was very congested. That’s why the bus was late,” she said.
For civil servant Azurita Mokhtar, 24, excitement quickly turned to panic when she realised she had been waiting at the wrong platform and her bus had already left.
“I haven’t taken a bus in a long time, so I got confused,” she said.
With no tickets left and options running out, she decided to get behind the wheel.
“I don’t have a choice. I have to drive back to Ketereh. I didn’t expect this to happen.
“I was disappointed, but I believe this is a test. Raya is still waiting at home.”
