Published by The Malaysian Insight, image from Malaysiakini.
MALAYSIANS should be prepared to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri in an exceptional way and in contrast with the old tradition that is more alive than the celebration this year.
Some will feel uneasy about the forthcoming Raya as they would sit down to celebrate with their family in a 1m distance while checking Health Ministry latest updates regarding the Covid-19 ‘s daily cases and deaths on the evening.
And some also will be unhappy as they can’t go back to their hometown to celebrate Hari Raya with their beloved families and just enjoy themselves in the city while worrying about their fate after this.
As senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced, Malaysians are allowed to celebrate on the first day of the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri without any open houses or mass gatherings.
Not just that, interstate travel is also prohibited, and people can only visit their neighbours and relatives within the same state for gatherings with a limit of fewer than 20 people.
But how do we prepare ourselves for that?
The first thing that should be done, though, is to stay indoors and avoid house-to-house visiting as much as possible.
Since the common practice of Hari Raya Aidilfitri is to visit the close families, the conditional movement control order (CMCO) is not a golden ticket to seize opportunities to do so arbitrarily.
People should regularly wash and sanitize their hands, practise social distance when gathering, as well as avoid shaking hands with anyone during Raya, where possible.
During this tough time, people have to forget the old traditions and live life, particularly during this festive season, with the emergence of new norms in everyday activities.
Holding any open houses is also forbidden since it would allow people to gather about 20 people. As we have been in MCO for quite a long time, we would not want the numbers to spike again during this festive season.
Thus, the decision of this government represents a win-win situation for the country and rakyat as the decision is to break the chain of COVID-19 infection while allowing people to enjoy the celebration.
However, one of the important things during Raya is the way of the celebration instead of family reunions. So, some people should not feel down and enjoy this festive as usual.
It is also encouraged to celebrate Hari Raya normally by cooking the favourite dishes, decorating the house and wearing traditional clothes to lessen the sense of despair they feel for not returning to their hometown.
Apart from that, this “completely different” celebration would allow people to embrace the fact that the crisis may have secret wisdom behind it.
Some people still cannot acknowledge the fact because a total of 1,248 vehicles were attempting to cross the country on May 17 on the pretext of returning to the village, and the police had ordered them to return.
Interstate travel will worsen the situation to control the spread of the virus.
Based on the statistics, there are 971 positive cases of Covid-19 (14.1%) that have had a history of travelling interstate, which is a proof that shows interstate travel is one of the key triggers of the spread.
Besides, the truth behind the interstate travel ban is to prevent the virus from spreading to senior citizens as it is proven that senior citizens are at high risk of becoming infected with the virus.
This is confirmed by Health Director-Ggeneral Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah that the elderly people are the most vulnerable group to Covid-19 infection and death.
Try to think about it, people would not want their parents to get infected and killed by the virus but some people do not even know that they have the symptoms and do not realise that they are infecting others around them in silence.
Not just that, the government also has banned it to protect the green zones from being affected by the red zones like what happened in Iran as its mass movement of people has contributed to the spike in Covid-19 in the country.
This is where technology may play a major role in this situation.
It can be achieved by video conferencing to get connected to the families while sharing the mood of the celebration as well as getting closer in the heart although far in the eyes.
While the feeling is not the same as meeting in person, this unprecedented moment will teach people to appreciate their families and loved ones and to be patient with the allegations they face.
It will also teach people to be humble because of the modest Hari Raya celebration during conditional MCO this year.
Regarding the worship houses, the government must prepare a detailed and understandable standard operating procedure (SOP) for people to obey.
The government also must ensure that people will follow the SOP and take action against people who do not follow the SOP.
People who still prefer to go to their family members for a visit should follow the guidelines set by the Health Ministry.
Understandably, without their beloved families and loved ones, some would feel awkward and cannot even celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri normally, but we have to respect the decision of the government, stay united, avoid being selfish and follow the rules for our economic resilience and public health safety.
Farhan Kamarulzaman is Research Assistant at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.
