Muslims celebrate Aidilfitri in joyous atmosphere

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah hosted Aidilfitri open house at the Istana Negara here today.

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah hosted Aidilfitri open house at the Istana Negara here today.

The open house session for dignitaries was attended by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Noorainee Abdul Rahman as well as cabinet ministers and foreign diplomats.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, were also among the 500 guests who attended the open house.

Following the open house for dignitaries, Tuanku Mizan and Tuanku Nur Zahirah hosted open house for the public.

Their Majesties’ term as Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong is scheduled to end in December.

Najib’s open house

Thousands of people of various races thronged the Aidilfitri open house hosted by Najib and cabinet ministers at the prime minister’s official residence, Seri Perdana, here today.

The visitors began gathering at the compound of Seri Perdana as early as 11 am to join in the Aidilfitri celebration with the nation’s leaders.

Najib, clad in a brick-red “baju Melayu” (Malay attire), and his wife Rosmah Mansor, Muhyiddin and his wife Noorainee, and the cabinet ministers began receiving guests from noon.

The heat of the mid-day sun did not melt the enthusiasm of the people who waited patiently in the queue to exchange Aidilfitri greetings with the prime minister, deputy prime minister and the other ministers.

The guests included leaders of political parties, foreign diplomats and corporate leaders.

Meanwhile Muslims throughout the country celebrated Aidilfitri today in a joyous atmosphere with family and friends.

They performed prayers at mosques and then hosted “open house” at home for their relatives and friends.

The celebrations were all the more merrier as Aidilfitri this year fell on the eve of the nation’s 54th anniversary of independence, which has houses, shops and business premises flying the national flag.

Many Muslims here had returned to their hometowns and villages to celebrate the festival, but those who stayed back attended prayers in the city and held open house as well.

This morning Tuanku Mizan performed Aidilfitri prayers at the National Mosque, along with 15,000 fellow Muslims.

- Bernama