PUTRAJAYA: It may have been the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri but the mood is quiet and sombre.
The annual open house hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Cabinet members had since been cancelled out of respect for the victims of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17.
It was the first time the Hari Raya open house had been cancelled and it is traditionally held on the first day of Syawal.
The decision to call off the event was made during the Cabinet meeting last Thursday.
Even though the event was cancelled, several ambassadors were still seen driving into Seri Perdana today.
It was also learnt that families of victims of vanished MH370 and MH17 were personally invited by Najib to celebrate Hari Raya at his official residence.
Among the families of crew members on board MH370 that vanished on March 8 while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur that were present at the open house were Jacquita Gonzales, wife of inflight supervisor Patrick Francis Gomes and Maira Elizabeth Nari and her mother, the daughter and wife of chief steward Andrew Nari.
Meanwhile, Madiani Mahdi, 42, who is also a MAS stewardess said the prime minister had given families words of encouragement.
She said he understood the grieve that families are going through in this trying times.
Madiani is the wife of former MH17 steward Shaikh Mohd Noor Mahmood, 44.
Shaikh Mohd Noor was onboard the ill-fated flight with 14 other crew members and 283 passengers whom were en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17.
Madiani added: "It was a personal invitation from the prime minister and we came here at 11am."
She said her family was not celebrating Hari Raya as they were still mourning from the loss of Shaikh Mohd Noor.
Madiani said no new information was shared with families at the open house and they were still waiting for the bodies of their loved ones to be repatriated.
She attended the event with her two children and her sister.
Madiani said the plan after attending the open house was to visit her in-laws who live in Klang.
"We are moving on. This is Allah's will and we accept it (redha) that he is no longer here with us," Madiani added.
Another family member of crew member MH17, Azman Ibrahim, 50, said their Hari Raya celebration was moderate.
The uncle to first officer Muhamad Firdaus Abdul Rahim, when met outside Seri Perdana, said Najib had asked the families to persevere.
Azman said the government was doing its best to bring back the bodies of victims as soon as they could.
"He (Najib) said it will take some time as this involves international parties," he added.
He also said that his family is appreciative of the government's efforts in trying to help families of those affected by this tragedy.