Families light up Raya kerosene lamps
SIBU: Five families in Kampung Hilir here on Wednesday night lighted up 120 traditional Raya oil lamps made from aluminium cans and displayed on a structure they had constructed through joint effort.
Suhardi Lakman from one of the five families said it took them three days to build the structure on a small open space in the neighbourhood.
“We’d wanted to light up the kerosene lamps on Tuesday night, but it rained,” he recalled.
“The project was led by Suhaili Sitam assisted by about 10 others.
“We worked until about 11pm each night,” said Suhardi adding Kampung Hilir folk had never built such a structure before.
“Individually, yes, we do display lamps in front of our houses, but never on a structure like this,” he said.
We’d wanted to light up the kerosene lamps on Tuesday night, but it rained. Suhardi Lakman, villager
He said Kampung Datu folk did come up with similar structure every Hari Raya until the village was destroyed by fire.
“We want to re- live those happy times. It heightens the festive mood. We want our folk here, our kids and so on to feel the joy of Hari Raya,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohd Saiful Hamdin, 25, who was one of those involved in building the structure, said it was a dream come true for him.
He said he had wanted to build such a structure after the fire at Kampung Datu.
“Last time, Kampung Datu folk would come and ask for donation to build the structure and we would give. But, since that fire, we had not had one anymore. We miss it,” he said.