PETALING JAYA: Frontliners are changing from personal protective equipment (PPE) to Raya outfits as many are packing to leave for their hometown for the Aidilfitri celebrations this year.

       Assistant medical officer Noorfazlyante Mohd Hussain could not contain her excitement and decided to shop for the occasion early before heading back to her hometown in Kinabatangan and Sandakan, Sabah.

       “It has been three years since I went back for Eid, so I will first go to Kinabatangan because that is where my big family is. Then, I will visit my father in Sandakan as I haven’t met him for over a year,” she said.

       Blue, however, is not her Raya clothing colour of choice because it resembles the colour of the PPE.

       “Blue is cancelled for Raya. I will go for purple, pink, yellow – anything but blue,” she quipped.

       Noorfazlyante said she had been missing the festive atmosphere of the night before Aidilfitri at home, especially rewang (cooking together) with her four siblings and other family members.

       She said she was looking forward to cooking nasi burasak (a Bugis dish that is similar to nasi lemak but wrapped in banana leaves) and ginger chicken after not being able to make it home for Hari Raya for the past few years.

       Noorfazlyante added that she had no family members in Peninsular Malaysia and had been celebrating the first day with her friends at the emergency department by eating Raya dishes and donning festive outfits when video-calling her family.

       “We will cry during our video calls, especially when I hear the takbir, so this year I want to replace all of that with good Raya memories,” she said.

       Nurse Norni Abu Bakar is looking forward to resuming her tradition of visiting relatives and neighbours on Hari Raya morning after three years of celebrating at the hospital.

       “Usually after Raya prayers, we would go around the neighbourhood visiting our neighbours and inviting them to celebrate at our house in Serdang, Kedah.

       “Since all seven of my siblings are coming back this year, we will also be going to other relatives’ houses to celebrate,” she said.

       Norni added that she had bought Raya outfits for her parents, festive biscuits and sparkly lights for the occasion.

       It is not all glad tidings for frontliners, as nurse Siti Rokiah Ab Loh@Abdullah will be celebrating her fourth Hari Raya away from her family in Tanah Merah, Kelantan.

       “All 11 of my siblings will finally be at home this year after we celebrated the past two Hari Raya away. Every time I am reminded that I cannot be there, I get teary-eyed.

       “I usually video-call my family, but I cannot call them on Raya morning as I will cry and it will ruin my face powder.

       “My mother told us that she doesn’t mind if they don’t have Raya biscuits this year as long as all her children are back, so I am devastated that I cannot come home,” she added.

       Siti Rokiah said she would miss the festive atmosphere, especially cooking rendang and lemang, and watching her nieces and nephews play together.