Aidilfitri on a smaller budget

It’s the end of Ramadan soon and Muslims all over the world will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri with great festivity. How will our celebrities be spending the day? The Sunday People team finds out

ADIBAH NOOR

THERE may be less manik and labuci (beads) work on her baju kurung this year but that suits Adibah Noor Mohamed Omar just fine.

She’s decided that, in order to cut costs, she would go back to her neighbourhood tailor, Kak As, in Pandan Indah.

“Kak As’ tailoring is just as good as any other designer and she would do it for RM120,” Adibah says. This means enormous savings as previously Adibah paid at least RM900 for each suit. Multiply that by five because that’s how many suits she would need for Raya, being the celebrity that she is.

“Yes, there is a shrinking of budget this year — not just for the Raya season, but in general,” she explains.

Then again Adibah and her family, including her parents and siblings, aren’t the sort to go on a shopping spree just for Raya.

“We’ve always settled for the necessities and the old but good stuff,” she adds.

This year she hasn’t ordered any Raya cookies either. “Now that’s a real downsizing of budget,” she jokes. Before, she would go home, arms laden with tins of kuih ros, especially for her father, and kuih samprit for the rest of the family.

There will still be duit Raya but the amount will be reduced.

“Previously, babies and pre-school kids got RM5, primary school kids got RM7, secondary school kids about RM10 and above-18 youths, unmarried and the womenfolk got about RM20, while siblings got RM50 and parents, uncles and aunts got RM100. This year everyone, except for siblings, parents, uncles and aunts, will receive RM5.”

Relax kids, hopefully the economy will pick up and Aunty Adibah will make her duit raya packets fatter.

SHAFIMIE SADON

“THIS year will not be as great because we’re not going to balik kampung,” begins Shafimie Sadon, that talented child actor from Astro Ceria’s Hikayat Putera Shazlan, his cute little nose wrinkling at the thought.

“But I don’t mind. It’s probably going to be fun celebrating with all the artistes at the studio.”

Fimie, as the 10-year-old is known, will be spending Raya morning at the Channel 9 studio for a nine-hour live show, Ketupat Rendang Kopi O. His family, including his two siblings, will forsake their Raya exodus to Perlis so as to be there with him.

Raya will be different in many other ways too this year. The flurry of engagements – acting and advertising outings – that filled his calendar last year and the rezeki that’s been flowing in from the start of Ramadan means that Fimie has much to smile about.

The family tradition of celebrating moderately still holds but Fimie will have more baju raya to choose from. Not that he’s extravagant but it’s just that with so many functions to attend, he doesn’t want to be seen in the same baju all the time!

Whatever the case, for Fimie, Raya is all about being with the family, except that this time, he’ll be part of a bigger one – for nine hours at least.

FATIMAH ABU BAKAR 

ACTRESS Fatimah Abu Bakar and her family are also cutting back on their spending for Raya this year. “Strangely, my daughters — Sharifah Aleya and Sharifah Amani — were discussing this just the other day, about how we must scale down celebrations,” she says.

“We’ve decided that instead of three Raya outfits, it’s going to be just one each! We’ve already cut down on cookies the past few years. Also, this year will be a quiet affair as my mother-in-law, Sharifah Aza Fadaak, passed away about a week before Ramadan.”

She does not plan to reduce the amount of duit Raya. “It will remain the same, for close family members only.”

Fatimah laments that Hari Raya celebrations have become too commercial. “We’ve somehow lost that natural simplicity. Too much is spent or wasted on food, clothes, open houses, duit Raya and cookies that get mouldy quickly. Too much show, not much substance. That’s why my husband and I jealously guard the eve and first day of Raya with our girls. Strictly family!”

She plans to go to her hometown in Penang to be with her parents, Haji Abu Bakar and Rohani. I’m hoping my two older girls can make it too,” she says.

SALAMIAH HASSAN & ATILIA RAJA HARON 

VETERAN jazz singer Salamiah Hassan and her daughter, Atilia Raja Haron, will be celebrating Hari Raya without much fanfare this year.

“Our families, including my seven brothers and two sisters, will meet at my late parents’ house in Selayang Baru. It’s potluck. Everyone brings a dish or two, so there’ll be plenty of food — simple but good food,” says Salamiah.

She’s not planning on buying new clothes. “I’ll just mix and match what I have. As for cookies, my friend Datin Farida sends a hamper full of them, so I don’t buy or make any!”

Atilia, who has settled for just one Raya outfit, will serve essentials like pulut, lemang, rendang, curry and a small selection of kuih Raya.

”With a smaller spread, we hope to finish the food within the first week so that nothing will go to waste,” she says.

Salamiah reveals that duit Raya is going to be halved. “Instead of the usual RM10 or more it will be RM5 this year!”

Both mother and daughter will be hosting an open house for underprivileged children at the Federal Hotel at the end of October.

“We will invite some friends in the industry to volunteer their talents for a night of fun and entertainment for the children," says Atilia.

MAYA KARIN

FOR stunning actress Maya Karin Roelcke, this year will be her smallest Raya celebration yet. “The timing just doesn’t seem right,” she says. “Apart from Ramadan bazaars, there isn’t the usual Raya atmosphere

– the malls don’t seem to be celebrating, there are no TV commercials with the usual Raya messages and I’ve only received one or two cards so far. I feel the political situation has taken the whole shine off Raya.”

Although this will be her first Raya as a newly-wed, Maya will not be doing anything differently. “I’ll be celebrating with my family as usual,

including of course, my husband, Steven. He doesn’t have his family here for us to visit. On top of that, I’ll be shooting a film straight after

Raya, so I’ll be busy preparing for that.”

She’s never been one for grand celebrations, admits Maya. “My Raya has always been celebrated on a small scale. I’m a very practical person in all aspects of my life. New baju? I’m not into splurging on a new baju every year. I normally get 10 made every three years and that’s

good enough. I don’t believe in waste nor do I believe in having an overhaul every time Hari Raya comes along.”