KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians working abroad, who have been separated from their loved ones for more than two years following travel bans to curb Covid-19, will finally get to balik kampung.
Two Malaysians working in Singapore will cherish this Raya.
Khairullah Anuar, 26, from Melaka, said he had looked forward to hugging his mother after being away for nearly 800 days due to the pandemic.
The speciality coffee trainer at a company in Singapore said he counted the days to international travel between Malaysia and Singapore returning to pre-pandemic times.
"When the pandemic hit, I assumed that the closure of the border would be temporary, maybe one or two months. Little did we know that it lasted for about two years. It was painful not being able to spend Ramadan and Hari Raya with my parents, so to avoid feeling homesick, I worked during the festive season," he told the New Straits Times.
Khairullah said he had planned to return home when the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme between the two countries was announced last year.
However, after weighing the pros and cons, including the high cost for Covid-19 testing, he decided to continue waiting for international travel to resume without limitations, before coming home.
"When Malaysia and Singapore fully opened the border this month (April), I didn't wait a second longer to come home.
"I planned to surprise my parents by coming home during Ramadan."
To execute his plan, he asked a friend to take his parents to Imperial Heritage Hotel in Melaka, where he had stayed for a few days upon his arrival.
"I began making my way to the buka puasa section at the hotel and I approached my mother from her back. She was seated on the opposite side of the door.
"Slowly, I greeted her, 'Assalammualaikum, mak'.
"I was choking with tears and my heart felt like it was about to explode. She turned around and stared at me in disbelief for a few seconds and burst into tears. We hugged and kissed.
"I couldn't hold back my tears. I was crying like a baby in my mother's arms. It was a wonderful feeling."
He said he was so excited to see his mother that he forgot about eating for buka puasa.
"I am happy to see Malaysians and Singaporeans who can now travel back and forth.
"I'm happy because I can come home once or twice a month to visit my mom, like how I did before."
Faris Khairil Hariri, 29, said this Raya would be extra special as he would get engaged to his girlfriend.
"My girlfriend and I decided to get engaged on the fourth day of Raya. We knew we couldn't wait a moment longer when the borders between Malaysia and Singapore reopened."
Faris, who works in an operation team at a land-based scuba diving centre in Singapore, said celebrating Ramadan and Aidilfitri away from his family for the past two years had taught him to appreciate his loved ones even more.
"Last year, I decided to try celebrating Hari Raya with Malaysians who were in a similar predicament.
"We bought Raya delicacies from Pasar Geylang Serai, and prepared lemang, ketupat and rendang and distributed them to friends and colleagues.
"Of course, nothing beats celebrating Raya with family. This experience will be etched in my memory."
Faris said coming home via VTL was too expensive, and he started saving his money in June for his one-month leave.
"I am excited to come home and see my family and friends. I am also nervous to meet the family of my soon-to-be fiancée.
"I still can't believe that I will come home this Hari Raya."