BY AWANG MUHAMMAD SYAHMI
KUCHING: With Hari Raya approaching, Muslim families are getting busy to prepare to welcome the celebration.
It is common to observe families shopping for Raya attire, baking cookies, and engaging in other preparations for the festivity.
While some get to be with their families for the festive occasion, nonetheless, there are those who will not be at home during this Hari Raya.
For Muhammad Shahirffan Addam Mohd Hamzi, aged 22, a third-year student at Utsunomiya University, Japan majoring in Regional Design, he is celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri abroad.
Shahirffan, who is from Pahang, said that it has been two years now that he has not been able to go home for Aidilfitri.
“The first time I celebrated Aildilfitri last year, I was still excited to go to Japan because I wanted to experience the uniqueness of the culture that exists here.
“Raya this year is very different because of the feeling of sadness and longing for family in the village and not being able to celebrate with family and relatives,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
As for his preparation for Aidilfitri abroad, he said if Raya falls on Saturday, it will be a holiday because Japan does not give public holidays during Aidilfitri.
“I have been invited by the Malaysian embassy to come to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Malaysian embassy in Tokyo on Saturday.
“I also bought Raya clothes online and cakes from Malaysia. Although the cost is quite expensive, I want to experience the feeling and vibe of celebrating Hari Raya celebration in this country.
“In the morning of Raya, I will also cook some local dishes to capture the feeling of celebrating in the village such as rendang, mee curry and others,” he said.
He also shared about the challenges of fasting in Japan compared to Malaysia.
“When it comes to spring and summer, the Subuh will be very early at 3.30 am and sometimes it can reaches up to 2.30 am.
“Sometimes I decide to stay up, so I don’t miss Sahur and only go to bed after Subuh if I have a class at 8 am.
“For breaking-of-fast, my friends and I cook a lot by ourselves while, as people know, the period from Subuh to breaking-of-fast is quite long, which is 15 hours to 16 hours compared to 12 to 13 hours in Malaysia.
On Hari Raya morning, Shahirffan also does not miss to video call his family and relatives in the village and ask what is being cooked in the village.
“The study schedule in Japan is very different from Malaysia, I still have classes and academic obligations at university.
“Some students may have exams or assignments during the Raya holidays and cannot afford to take time off.
“The absence of classes at this time may also affect their studies, and some students may choose to stay on campus to focus on their academics,” he said.
Shahirffan added that despite being far away from his family, the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration is still lively with friends by his side.
In the meantime, Muhammad Khairani Ebraham@Ibrahim, aged 24, who is currently majoring in Communications and interning at RMT entertainment at Nilai also expressed his thoughts on celebrating Raya alone in the peninsula.
Khairani, who is from Sarawak, said that this is the first time he will not be coming back to Raya this year.
“Flight tickets are becoming increasingly expensive, especially for students like me.
“Even though the state government of Sarawak has provided aid for students to return for Raya, I choose to simply stay in Nilai.
“This is due to the little amount of time the company has granted for leave,” he said.
He added that since it will be his first time celebrating away from home, he will undoubtedly video call his family on the first day of Raya.
“I will put on my baju Raya that my family sent me and take a picture of myself to give to my family.
“I hope that my family will celebrate Hari Raya celebration with joy despite my absence this year.” he added.
