Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia celebrated Eid al-Fitr today, Saturday, in large gatherings with a feeling of relief as they were able to celebrate freely after most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
In Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country by population, crowds performed the Eid prayer at the historic Sunda Kelapa port north of Jakarta. Leyla, 35, expressed her happiness saying, "I am very happy that we are free from COVID restrictions." Meanwhile, Adit Chandra, 30, hoped that "things will improve from now on, and we can gather with our families after spending three years without being able to travel to our hometowns." Chandra is among more than 120 million Indonesians planning to travel from major urban centers to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr, nearly half the country's population. The government stated that this number exceeds last year's by approximately 44%.
In neighboring Malaysia, where Muslims make up the majority, worshippers also celebrated with their families. Khair El-Suriati, 39, residing in Kuala Lumpur, said, "We can visit large family gatherings without feelings of anxiety. We were cautious during the pandemic." Mohamed Noor Afham, 31, who works in Singapore, mentioned that he could "finally celebrate with his family in Malaysia this year after the pandemic prevented him from traveling in the past," adding, "I feel grateful that I will be able to meet my family... The last time we met was via video call."
However, authorities in both Indonesia and Malaysia urged residents to exercise caution amid reports of rising COVID-19 cases.
