2021-05-13 09:06:08 GMT2021-05-13 17:06:08(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Xinhua) Malaysia s Muslims marked a more somber Eid al-Fitr festival as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on into a second year, with many social traditions forced to be set aside amid surging cases.
Around the national capital Kuala Lumpur, streets, malls and markets that would usually teem with people celebrating the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid al-Fitr holidays were mostly vacant this year, with the government banning inter-district and inter-state travels, making the traditional exodus of balik kampung or people returning to hometowns impossible.
Among those who will be spending the holiday at home is Muhammad Naib Sarmat, who works as an e-hailing driver, traversing the streets which are fairly empty after the government implemented a month-long movement control order (MCO) nationwide after a surge in new COVID-19 cases.