Aidilfitri in the time of coronavirus

Every year, I would not miss the opportunity to visit the Raya bazaar in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, or better known as Jalan Tar. Not really to shop, but mostly to take in the "Raya feel" from the organised chaos that is the Raya bazaar.

Walking in an air-conditioned mall would certainly be more comfortable, but if one wants to truly feel the pulse of the capital bracing for the biggest cultural/religious celebration of the year, one needs to walk the streets of Jalan Tar and Masjid India.

But this year, there is no Raya bazaar. The streets of Kuala Lumpur is quieter this Ramadan. In the time of coronavirus, Muslims in Malaysia have come to observe Ramadan and will celebrate Syawal in a different way than usual.

Apart from Raya bazaars, physical Ramadan bazaars were also prohibited. This time around one could not experience walking from stall to stall, sampling the sights and smells of the delicacies on offer and making a decision based only on how good they look. This year, there was no opportunity to buy more than needed from these bazaars.

Similarly, the movement control order (MCO) meant that there is no Ramadan buffet on offer, a staple of this festive period. This could be a blessing in disguise, as in previous years such buffets have been criticised as being wasteful and encouraged gluttony.

For many Muslims, the ibadah (religious practice) for this Ramadan has had to be performed mostly at home alone or with the family. Terawih prayers have only been recently allowed but limited to certain mosques and with restricted numbers in the congregation. 

These are challenging times for a lot of people. Many have lost jobs and their source of income, and many say the true economic impact will be felt in the coming weeks and months.

Yet at the same time, the MCO and later the conditional MCO have resulted in a more personal Ramadan, with less wastage and extravagance.

This Aidilfitri will be in the same vein. The celebrations will be more muted and modest. Visiting friends and relatives will be limited, and many would opt to not host anyone for fear of not being able to observe social distancing.

There will be no balik kampung (returning to hometown) this year. For many who come from out of state, Aidilfitri will be spent away from family and loved ones.

It will not be easy. Aidilfitri has always been about renewing familial ties by going back to one’s hometown and visiting relatives. If one is not able to do any of these, Hari Raya would lose a lot of its meaning.

Maybe one day, when we have triumphed over this "invisible force", we can look back at this period and remember how sometimes we take the important things for granted simply because it has become an annual routine.

These are the sacrifices that we have to make while we continue to combat Covid-19. These are the changes that we have to quickly adapt to, the "new normal" in the time of the coronavirus. 

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SYAHREDZAN JOHAN is a civil liberties lawyer and political secretary to Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang. - Mkini