The 40-year-old legal clerk reminisced about the warm and joyful Hari Raya celebrations at their village in Kampung Lingkudou, Ranau, about 100km from here, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“My family and I would go back a day earlier to my late grandmother’s home and when everyone got together, there could be some 100 people gathered there at one time,” he told FMT.

“My late father had 10 siblings. With their families, our cousins and other members of the extended family, can you imagine the scene at the gathering there?

“The night before Hari Raya, we would together cook the traditional dishes like rendang, kari and ketupat. At the same time, everyone would be catching up with each other and there would be laughter.

“I really miss that.”

Roy also recalled the morning of the big day when everyone would walk in their Baju Raya to the nearby surau to perform prayers.

“After that, we will go to the cemetery to visit the graves of my father and other relatives.

“Because of the movement restrictions, I have not been able to go there for two years now,” he said.

Despite a nationwide movement control order (MCO), Sabah has maintained its SOPs under the conditional MCO (CMCO), which allow Hari Raya visits to relatives and cemeteries but not inter-district movement.

The number of people allowed for house visits is limited to 20 and from 9am to 9pm. The host must also prepare the MySejahtera QR code for guests to register.

Although having to make do with a small celebration at their Putatan home, Roy, who is also a part-time musician, is nonetheless grateful for the chance to be with his wife, six-year-old child, mother and three siblings.

“We keep traditions alive by seeking forgiveness from each other, especially from my mother, who is very important to us,” he said, adding that his father died in 2006.

“But it does feel strange. Celebrating among ourselves cannot compare with the joy of being with the entire clan.”

Former press photographer Mohd Adam Arinin says his family is unable to feel the joy of returning to their hometown to see their loved ones.

Adam, 33, has siblings living in other districts in Sabah and in Selangor. They normally return to their home in the state capital, considered as their “urban kampung”, for Raya.

However, he is thankful that the SOPs this year are a bit relaxed despite the ban on interstate and inter-district travel.

“Fewer activities were allowed last year because Hari Raya was during the MCO,” he said. “At least this year we could perform the supererogatory prayer at the mosque and hear the Takbir Raya.

“We could also visit my late father’s grave this time. Last year, the cemetery was closed. We could only stand outside and look at the grave, which fortunately was next to the fence.”

This year, Adam took his fiancee and mother to his aunt’s place in Sembulan, not far from here. Altogether, there were only eight people in the house although they received relatives who spaced out their visits.

“To make things merrier, we turned to technology by making video calls to our siblings who are far away,” he said.

Although he couldn’t enjoy a traditional get-together for the second year in a row, Adam understands the sacrifice people have to make.

“I’m aware of people trying to find fault with the authorities, but we can’t blame them because these regulations are to help make tomorrow better,” he said.

“What we can do is follow the SOPs, do our part to kill off the virus and, hopefully, we can soon see the fruits of our sacrifice.”