Tears are shed, hearts are torn as Malaysians spend emotional Hari Raya in Singapore
Monday, 25 May 2020 09:00 AM MYT
“I don’t know what it will be like. A lot of crying maybe ,” Siti Fatimah had told TODAY last Friday about the precious video call she was anticipating.“Everyone at home would be wearing purple. My husband made sure we got the clothes because since we didn’t get to go back, at least we will have this memory in our video calls that we all were dressed to match like usual,” she said.
Siti Fatimah is just one of the many Malaysians who spent Hari Raya in Singapore. Most of them are away from their families for the first time on the day, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Siti Fatimah and her husband were offered a bedroom in a three-room HDB flat by her employer when they made a choice to stay here.
“Not being able to celebrate with my family is hard. And now, I’m apart from my husband, too. If he were here, at least we’d have each other’s company. I have never spent the day without them before. My kids ,” Siti Fatimah’s voice trailed off, as she started to cry. Her 13-year-old son has been living with her ex-husband since their divorce nine years ago, and the only times she gets to spend with the boy are during his school holidays, Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji.
The 32-year-old is not sure how long her ailing father’s health will hold up after he was hospitalised on April 15 due to complications with his kidneys and diabetes. “I ask my mother every day if I should return home but she is afraid I will lose my job. We need the money.”
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