31 head of cattle sacrificed for Muslims in Kampong Cham

KAMPONG CHAM, Cambodia: A total of 31 head of cattle contributed by Malaysians under the ‘Jejak Asnaf @ Korban di Bumi Kemboja’ were sacrificed in conjunction with Aidiladha for the Muslim community in Kampong Kork here yesterday.

About 500 villagers, together with 200 programme volunteers and participants organised by Maahad Tahfiz Baitul Tariq in Klebang, Melaka gathered to help in the Aidiladha celebrations for the people in the compound of the Al-Kausar Daulah Qatar Mosque here.

Two of the cattle were sacrificed to prepare Melaka curry and the curry of the local community as dishes of a feast, apart from beef bone soup and other traditional delicacies such as lepat pulut (glutinous rice cake), bepang ( peanut candy), wajik kelapa ( brown sticky rice cake) and kerepek pisang ( banana chips).

A villager, Rozan Zulkifli, 20, said the ritual of sacrifice programme in her village this time was very different as the people were treated to a feast with everybody working in a festive atmosphere.

“The sacrifice ritual usually involves sacrificing cows and goats and the meat, distributed to villagers,” said the seamstress who had worked in Melaka for two years.

Rosli Amin, 27, said this year’s Aidiladha programme made them feel the festive mood with a feast for the entire village.

“It is really an occasion which brings the villagers and the Muslim community of Melaka closer together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maahad Tahfiz Baitul Tariq president Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad said the sacrificed meat was distributed to the poor at 10 villages in the Kampung Cham province, a fivehour journey from the capital, Phnom Penh.

He said besides conducting the programme, it was also aimed at strengthening the Muslim brotherhood between the two countries, as well as to assist the needy.

“We also brought old clothes and prayer essentials which are in need by the Muslim community here,” he added. — Bernama