PETALING JAYA: As families across the country gather in their finest attire, exchanging greetings and sharing festive meals during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, others spent their first and second day of celebrations at work, sacrificing their personal moments as duty calls.
For 52-year-old petrol station cashier Zainal Mahmud, Hari Raya this year was spent behind a counter.
“As petrol stations are essential services, we need to keep it open. It is my turn to work on Hari Raya as other staff had done so in the past years. Of course, it would be nice to be at home with the family but I am from Selangor and have no hometown to go,” said the father of two when met at a petrol station in SS1.
At Sunway Pyramid, patisserie manager Zailani Wapa, 26, made a conscious decision to work, balancing brief celebrations with his duty.
“Business has not been very encouraging recently, so I decided to help out my boss. I came in for work in the afternoon after going for my prayers at a mosque and spending some time with my family in the morning. I am quite used to working on Hari Raya,” he said, adding that he would take a day off on Tuesday (March 24).
For his colleague, Aidid Iqbal, it was the second consecutive year he has not celebrated Hari Raya with his family in Sabah.
“My father, who is a policeman attached here in the Klang Valley, has also not returned to Sabah as he needs to be on duty,” said the 20-year-old culinary studies student who is currently undergoing his internship at the store
The weight of missing home was also felt by 21-year-old home improvement retail cashier Hanny Harisa Hairal.
“This is my first job and it is the first time I am not with my family on Hari Raya. I cried this morning when I had to go to work but this is how working life is,” she said when met here.
For Sabahan Airilsuzain Hapsan, 20, who works at a fast-food chain, the day was marked by distance.
He and his older brother were unable to return home due to work commitments and instead spoke to their parents and five siblings over the phone early on the first day of Hari Raya.
Security guard Hafiz Mohd Idris, 45, said he was used to working throughout the Raya holidays due to being in the security industry for over 15 years.
“You get used to it and it's fine since my colleagues and I usually take turns annually to work the Raya shift while the other gets to go on Raya holiday. I at least got into the Raya spirit a bit after meeting my relatives for a bit in my hometown at Kedah after dropping off my wife and children there to enjoy Raya,” he said.
Convenience store cashier Muhammad Khairullah Ikhwan Ann, 18, said he did not feel that sad since all his relatives and most of his friends stayed in the Petaling Jaya area during Raya.
“I get to meet them after work so it's not really that lonely since they all don’t go anywhere during Raya.
“It helps that our boss allowed us to dress up in Raya clothes for work during this two-day Raya holiday so I don’t even need to change clothes before going to meet my family and friends after work,” he said.
Another convenience store cashier Siti Khadijah Azizi, 21, said she did not mind working the night shift during Raya as she could still celebrate with her family during the day.
“Someone has to work the night shift so I decided that I might as well do it. It’s not that bad either since at least I get to celebrate with my family during the day,” she said.
Baker Nur Syuhada, 28, said she would rather work during the Raya to earn more and return to her hometown in Johor on another occasion.
“For me, if I get to work and earn more, I will always go for work instead of taking the day off.
"We have had many other family reunions over the years so missing just one is not that bad since I can always make it up later,” she said.
Despite their sacrifices, there is some compensation as a small consolation for missing out on time with loved ones.
All said working during the holidays would earn them at least double of their daily wage.
