Tamil-speaking Malay family, Indian neighbours' Raya tradition

OUR MUHIBAH STORY | Since childhood, Juliana Pija Ismail and her family have maintained a cherished tradition of welcoming their Indian neighbours during Hari Raya.

A tradition spanning 20 years, it has warmed the hearts of thousands after Juliana shared a video of her mother joyously speaking in Tamil while entertaining the Indian family during this year’s Aidilfitri celebrations.

The 38-year-old said both her parents became fluent in Tamil while living at the TRP Trong estate in Taiping, Perak, although Juliana and her siblings did not pick up the language.

Then, when the family moved into a flat in Petaling Jaya in the 2000s, they developed a deep bond with one of their neighbours.

“My late father used to run a food stall, and whenever he had extra food, he would share the meal with our neighbour and his best friend, the late Uncle Katia, and their children,” she told Malaysiakini.

Juliana’s family lived on the first floor of the flat, while Katia and his family stayed on the 15th floor.

Strong family bonds

While both family patriarchs have passed, the tradition of celebrating Raya together continued, and the family bond remained strong.

Recently, Juliana shared a video of her mother, 61-year-old Hasimah Saman, reuniting with Katia’s son Kumarasan Sathya and his family during Raya at their home.

Hasimah Saman with Kumarasan Sathya (second from left) and his family in a recent Raya gathering.

The TikTok video captured the joyous occasion with her mother excitedly conversing in Tamil.

The post quickly garnered over 70,000 likes and has been shared over 1,500 times.

“Kumarasan came with his wife and children. They were thrilled to see my mother and enjoyed her cooking, “ she shared.

Among Kumarasan’s favourite Raya dishes are Juliana’s mother’s delectable rendang ayam, ketupat, and nasi impit.

“In the video, my mother even teased that I couldn’t cook as well as she does,” Juliana said.

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Missing from the video, however, was Kumarasan’s mother - who could not join in the celebrations that day as she was occupied, according to Juliana.

She said Kumarasan’s mother often visited her mother to catch up and go to weddings or other feasts together.

“When they celebrate Deepavali back in their hometown, Kumarasan’s mother prepares ladu, muruku, and other traditional Indian treats for us since we couldn’t visit them,” she added.