15/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 15, 2026 theSunday Special IV

F OR decades, Hari Raya in Malaysia was anchored to the kampung . Open houses meant wide gates left open all day and UHODWLYHV ÀRZLQJ LQ DQG RXW IURP morning until night. Once the balik kam pung rush was over and city life resumed, Raya was often considered “done”. Today, that idea feels increasingly outdated. As more Malaysians live in urban areas, Raya celebrations have expanded beyond traditional village homes. Open houses now unfold across the entire month of Syawal PRYLQJ ÀXLGO\ IURP kampung gatherings to condo units and urban homes back in the city. What was once a single festive peak has become a series of smaller, more personal celebrations with colleagues, friends and chosen family long after the highways have cleared. Condo open houses, once seen as a SUDFWLFDO FRPSURPLVH DUH QRZ D GH¿QLQJ part of modern Raya culture. Limited space has led to curated guest lists and potluck-style spreads. These urban cel ebrations may be more contained, but they offer something increasingly valuable: Time, intimacy and the chance to slow down. It is within this evolving landscape that Malaysians have come to experience Raya in two distinct but connected worlds. Experiencing Raya: Kampung vs urban Scriptwriter and content creator Moham mad Asraf, who grew up experiencing kampung open houses before attending urban ones with colleagues, believes that the experience begins long before the food is served. “In kampung , visiting relatives feels like a marathon. You spend hours driving from house to house, but the journey itself becomes part of the fun – winding roads, greenery and fresh air,” Mohammad said. Condo open houses, by contrast, are more procedural. Guests navigate security checkpoints, register at lobbies and wait for lift access. “It feels more private and exclusive,” he explained. Y HW GHVSLWH WKH GL̆ HUHQFHV KH LQVLVWV the heart of the open house remains unchanged. “The ‘jemput makan’ spirit is still there. It just lives in a minimalist living room instead of a wooden porch,” he added. The shift in setting also changes how

posture, tone and manners. C RQGR RSHQ KRXVHV PRYH DW D GL̆ HUHQW rhythm. “It feels like a deep breath,” Rushdina highlighted. Without the pressure of large crowds, guests let their guard down. Conversa tions last longer, laughter comes more easily and hosts can sit and eat alongside their guests rather than constantly tend ing to them. “We stay longer, we lounge on the sofa and sometimes we even end up playing board games or just catching up until late at night,” she added. Balancing tradition and chosen family For Rushdina, choosing between the WZR LV LPSRVVLEOH EHFDXVH HDFK IXO¿OV D GL̆ HUHQW HPRWLRQDO QHHG “The kampung is where I go to feel whole again. It’s my soul and my founda tion,” she mused. Condo open houses, on the other hand, are where she finds her chosen fam ily – friends walking through adulthood journey alongside her, sharing similar experiences and challenges. “One keeps me grounded and the other reminds me that I’m not alone in this big ZRUOG ´ 5XVKGLQD UHÀHFWHG Creating memories in smaller spaces The intimacy is something that a small business owner, Akila Zulkifli, values deeply. Hosting an open house in a smaller space means inviting fewer people and managing practical challenges like parking and kitchen space. But for her, those limitations are also what make the gathering meaningful. “Everyone gets to properly sit down, talk and really connect instead of just exchanging quick greetings,” she said. Akila often hosts potluck-style gather ings, where each guest brings a dish. The result is a shared experience that extends beyond eating, from games and singing to ZDWFKLQJ ¿OPV DQG FOHDQLQJ XS WRJHWKHU at the end of the night. “It feels less like I’m hosting and more like we’re creating memories together,” she pointed out. “That sense of togetherness is what truly makes it Raya.” Taken together, these evolving celebra tions show how Raya has adapted

High-rise Raya

As city living reshapes celebrations, open houses now move from kampung to urban homes without losing their warmth BY HAIKAL NAJWA

laksa Terengganu and tapai . Every bite tastes like my childhood and the way I was raised, with so much adab and culture,” Rushdina noted. As she cannot return to the kampung as often as she would like, Raya becomes a precious window to reconnect with her roots. “ , ¿QG P\VHOI WU\LQJ WR VRDN LQ HYHU\ second of that feeling before I have to head back to the city,” she shared. C RQGR RSHQ KRXVHV VSHDN WR D GL̆ HUHQW chapter of life. While traditional Raya dishes remain, WKH\ DUH RIWHQ DFFRPSDQLHG E\ PRGHUQ ¿Q ger foods such as tauhu bergedil , chicken tenders, popia carbonara and assorted GHVVHUWV WKDW UHÀHFW FRQWHPSRUDU\ tastes and convenience. With smaller spaces and tighter guest lists, the atmosphere be comes more intimate and relaxed. “There’s air-conditioning, there’s space to breathe and it feels easy,” Rushdina said. “Because the guest list is smaller, it feels more personal.” That intimacy,

Urban open houses often blend traditional ßÿłüãłϰţÿŊüϰęĢßãľěϰżě÷ãľϰöĢĢßłϰöĢľϰ convenience and taste.

to modern Malaysian life. Open houses no longer belong to a single place or moment. They begin in kampung KRPHV ¿OOHG with relatives and tradition and continue weeks later in urban homes where chosen families gather. T KH GRRUV PD\ ORRN GL̆ HUHQW but they remain just as open throughout Syawal .

people interact. In kampung houses, celebrations often spill into the yard under WHQWV 6KRHV DUH NLFNHG R̆ FRQYHUVDWLRQV stretch for hours and time seems almost irrelevant. In condos, space is limited and guests come in waves. “At a condo, we eat and move so others can have a turn. In the kampung , you eat, lounge and eat again,” Mohammad remarked. Still, the warmth remains – just ex SUHVVHG GL̆ HUHQWO\ Food as memory and connection For Rushdina Sofea, a corporate executive who splits her Raya between Terengganu and the city, food is the clearest marker RI WKDW GL̆ HUHQFH 6KH EHOLHYHV kampung open houses are deeply tied to place and memory. “You’ll see nasi dagang, nasi minyak,

Mohammad feels the essence of Raya stays the same, with the warmth now expressed ÿěϰ¾ϰęĢßãľěϰēÿŢÿě÷ϰľĢĢęϰ rather than on a traditional wooden porch.

she thinks, changes how people interact. Traditional open houses, especially in kampung or landed homes, carry an unspoken sense of decorum. With elders, neighbours and large crowds present, guests are mindful of their

For Rushdina, kampung food is a window into her roots, with every ØÿŊãϰãŢĢĐÿě÷ϰüãľϰ childhood and the way she was raised.