Breaking the chain of infection still the order of the day

LOOKS like it is going to be another quiet Hari Raya. No frills, no feasts. No balik kampung, no open houses as in the past.

The police have even warned us they would check on houses with unusual number of cars or footwear outside.

These are apparently tell-tale signs that some of us have crossed the states. But nowadays, there are many houses with more than three cars at one time. Some even own six or eight cars. Big families under one roof, maybe?

One would have to manoeuvre carefully at a residential area in Ampang on a daily basis, for instance. Cars are parked on both sides of the narrow roads even during working hours. It gets worse in the evening. Judging from this, the police would have a tough time identifying whose houses are visited by guests for a quick snack of ketupat and rendang.

In the past, somewhere in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, it would have rivalled a war-torn country at the beginning of Ramadan. Teenagers would have a blast playing with cannons made of bamboo (meriam buluh) on the eve of Ramadan itself. But, as Ramadan entered the 22nd day (at the time of writing), only sporadic bursts could be heard, that too from the usual fireworks, mostly banned by the government.

It is better to keep the money for a rainy day rather than literally burn them to ashes. Hopefully, there will not be any casualty from firework incidents as in the past as less is burned this time around. Road accidents, too.

This is the second year running that Malaysians will be celebrating Hari Raya in a sombre mood. In fact, all over the world the celebration was held back due to the raging Covid-19 pandemic.

Some have even asked (tongue in cheek, of course) that the popular song by the late Sudirman Haji Arshad, Balik Kampung, be banned from being played on air since there will not be a balik kampung rush this time.

Or the sad ones like Musafir di Aidilfitri by S. Jibeng and P. Ramlee's Dendang Perantau to keep the "dam from bursting".

Highways will not see the sea of cars making a beeline to balik kampung or people complaining on social media they had to endure long hours on the road. Not this time.

It would be sad really, not being able to balik kampung for Hari Raya. Imagine the aged parents waiting for their kids and grandchildren at the front door.

Imagine the night before Hari Raya, being alone at home. Imagine the plight of express bus drivers who lost on overtime, the empty planes parked at the airports and, most of all, the quietness in the villages.

There goes the marhaban, an act of reciting praises for the prophet. It is a tradition for the Muslims to group together and make house visits to enjoy food served by the hosts and mingle with each other. But, these are some of the ways to break the virus chain.

Those from high-risk areas such as Selangor and Kuala Lumpur should refrain from crossing states to celebrate Hari Raya.

You might just inadvertently pass on the virus to the innocent and poor villagers as you hop from one house to another to visit friends and relatives. Malaysians are generally a friendly lot. It is not nice to turn away guests when they are already at your doorstep. But this pandemic has taught us to be firm.

No guests allowed. With more than three million deaths reported globally so far, the pandemic is not about to end despite the ongoing National Immunisation Programme.

The borders are not ready to be opened yet as the threat is real. The fines imposed for breaking the rules are enough to deter anyone from even trying to balik kampung.

Just stay home, stay safe. You can still enjoy the rendang and ketupat in the comfort of your home.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all.


The writer longs for ketupat and rendang, a seasonal staple usually served during Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Aidiladha

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