Kampung Ribu lights up for 'Malam Tujuh Likur'

 

The villagers of Kampung Ribu here were on cloud nine last night as they finally could see their village aglow with thousands of pelita or oil lamps again. - STR/SHARUL HAFIZ ZAM

PADANG RENGAS: The villagers of Kampung Ribu here were on cloud nine last night as they finally could see their village aglow with thousands of pelita or oil lamps again.

The tradition, known as panjut, will see villagers lighting up their village with oil lamps on the 27th night of Ramadan, which is known as Malam Tujuh Likur.

This year, the framework of the panjut was made in the shape of the Masjid Selat Melaka, as Melaka played a major role in the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia.

Persatuan Pengemar Panjut Kampung Ribu chairman Amiruddin Mohd Lazim said last year, the villagers only put up the oil lamps closer to their homes due to the Movement Control Order (MCO).

STR/SHARUL HAFIZ ZAM

Amiruddin said they were lucky this year as they managed to continue the tradition once again after getting approval from the authority.

He said they used wood and bamboos as the oil lamps' structure and placed 2,000 of them at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Ulu Ribu's field.

"We have been organising panjut since 2014 and for each year, we come up with different themes to add to the festive mood.

"But last year, villagers could only put up panjut closer to home following the implementation of MCO. We are happy we can celebrate it again this year," he said.

Amiruddin said the villagers had been working hard since a week before the fasting month to build the Masjid Selat Melaka replica.

"Since the interstate travel is still not allowed, we hope this event will help some of the people here to feel closer to their homes," he said he said, adding that the panjut would be lit twice — on the 27th of Ramadan and the night of Hari Raya.

STR/SHARUL HAFIZ ZAM

A villager, Megat Mohd Khir Megat Ibrahim, 38 said he was happy as he could bring his family to see panjut again.

"This is something that we look forward to every year during Ramadan. Last year we could not carry on with the panjut tradition, and the atmosphere was just different.

"I am thankful that we manage to have it this year and I hope the Covid-19 pandemic will end soon so that we can go back to normal," he said. - NST