DRAWN by the festive air of Aidiladha in Kelantan, a family from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, made the decision to participate in the korban ritual in the state today.
Suhaili Saneh, 59, said he, his wife and their three children also bought two cows at a nearby farm for the korban, in anticipation of the festivities.
He said he chose to participate in the korban activities in Kampung Pauh here as it was close to his relative's house.
"This is a new experience for us as a family celebrating Aidiladha away from home. We are grateful for the opportunity and cannot wait to celebrate the day.
"In Sabah, we would usually use buffaloes for the korban and it is done only in mosques. Also, not many places celebrate it in a big way there, save a few districts.
"God willing, my family will not miss the chance to immerse ourselves in the experience," he said.
Suhaili was met while selecting cattle at the Kampung Bukit Tuku farm here on Saturday.
Suhaili said apart from his family and in-laws, he was also bringing his grandchildren to experience Aidiladha in the east coast.
"It doesn't matter where we are. As Muslims, we have to celebrate it accordingly," he said.
Aidiladha, while celebrated throughout Malaysia, is particularly vibrant in the east coast states.
A total of 91,700 vehicles have travelled the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2) over the first two days of Op Lancar, held in conjunction with the Aidiladha celebration, Bernama reported.
Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin said there was a 40 to 60 per cent increase in vehicles on June 14 and 15 compared with regular days, but traffic flow remained smooth.
To manage the increased traffic, he said 50 traffic police from the Terengganu contingent, supported by members of the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela), were deployed.
"LPT2 sees 20,000 vehicles daily, but the numbers have exceeded 50,000.
"Despite the peak on Saturday, traffic flow has remained manageable and stable."
He said this when inspecting LPT2 traffic at the Kuala Terengganu toll plaza in Gemuruh.
Four fatalities in accidents were reported during the operation in Terengganu, an increase from three cases recorded in Op Lancar 2023.
LPT2 regional manager Suhaimi Samat said three additional lanes were opened from Kuala Lumpur towards Kuala Terengganu. He said LPT2 anticipated traffic to increase to between 45,000 and 60,000 vehicles during this year's Aidiladha season.