‘No surprises this year’: Malaysia in jubilant mood as extra-long Eid holiday begins

Unlike last year when Eid al-Fitr unexpectedly fell a day before the declared public holiday, the celebration will take place – as earlier assumed – on Saturday

Millions of Malaysian Muslims working in urban centres are on the move as they travel back to their family homes to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan

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Malaysian Muslims buy food at a bazaar during the holy month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:00pm, 21 Apr 2023

The end of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, is a special time in Malaysia – and this year the Muslim-majority nation has more reasons to celebrate with the granting of an extra public holiday and other goodies by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Like in neighbouring Indonesia – the world’s most populous Muslim nation – expressways, trains and planes were chock-full on Friday as millions of people swarmed home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, or Hari Raya Puasa.

Across the Muslim world, the festival will be celebrated on Saturday after religious officials determined that the new crescent moon – which must appear to herald the end of the month of Ramadan – would be sighted on Friday evening.

With a majority of Malaysia’s workforce based in a handful of urban hubs – Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching among others – many were escaping their adopted homes to “balik kampung” or “return to the village” to maintain the tradition of spending the first day after Ramadan at home.

Those who spoke to This Week in Asia said they were unfazed by the snail-paced traffic as they headed home. Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 barred cross-state travel – and painful memories of having to celebrate Eid away from family is fresh on the minds of many.