Ceritalah | What is it like to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr in a Muslim-minority country?
- Faith should bring harmony and progress to our societies and be a cause of unity, not division
This is unsurprising when you consider that 61 per cent and 87 per cent of the respective populations are Muslim.
Both capital cities – Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta – experience a huge exodus of people as millions head back to their kampungs, or hometowns. Indeed, it’s estimated some 15 million leave Jakarta in the weeks leading up to Lebaran before returning a few weeks later, in ever greater numbers.
In both capitals, Islam is practised with enormous public respect and solicitude. Especially during Ramadan, the daily life and rhythms of the two nations are determined by the dictates of the ummah, who constitute the overwhelming majority of the populations.
There are, of course, Muslims who for some reason feel the two countries are insufficiently Islamic and their faith is being encroached upon. Sadly, this sense of anxiety is being deliberately amplified and exploited by those who should know better.
