Aidilfitri celebrated with prayers, open house

KUALA LUMPUR: Fine weather greeted Muslims in the country as they ushered in Aidilfitri by attending prayers at mosques and surau, holding ‘open house’ and visiting relatives and friends.

The rain in isolated areas was welcomed as a divine blessing.

Many Muslims celebrated Aidilfitri in their hometowns and villages, having returned there over the past few days up to Sunday.

They were also joined in the exodus by non-Muslims taking advantage of the long holiday.

Motorists found that their vehicles could devour more kilometres per litre, thanks to the drop in fuel prices over the past two weeks, with RON 95 now at RM1.91 per litre.

Those hitting the road Sunday had the advantage of benefiting from discounts in the toll rate.

The government had also helped the people celebrate Aidilfitri in a slightly bigger way.

All civil servants received a special Aidilfitri allowance of RM500 earlier this month. Pensioners were not left out either; they received RM250.

The usual festive period price control scheme had enabled the prices of several essential goods to be kept at reasonable levels and more economical for the people.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Yang diPertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, performed Aidilfitri prayers at the Federal Territory Mosque, along with over 17,000 worshippers.

Also attending the prayers at the mosque were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Others included Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

After the prayers, His Majesty attended an Aidilfitri feast at Istana Negara. Members of the royalty, Najib, Ahmad Zahid, Cabinet ministers and foreign diplomats also attended the reception. — Bernama