Missing Raya at home a small sacrifice for navy sailors at ESSZone

SANDAKAN – As frontline security personnel, thousands of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) sailors from the peninsula have had to stay back on Sabah’s East Coast during Aidilfitri to protect the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).  

“It is not unusual for us to not be able to return to our hometowns for Raya, but it will be very unusual if we could actually return home for Raya,” said RMN sailor Afiq Adenan, 35. 

Having been stationed in Sabah for seven years, Afiq has missed Raya at his hometown in Kelantan for four straight years.

Not being able to return home for Raya is a norm. ‘Sedia untuk berkorban’ (ready to sacrifice); sacrificing our holidays is only a small matter.

“My wife and I, our parents have well accepted this fact and they even leave us out of their Raya celebration plans without even asking if we are returning home,” he said. 

The father of two said that his Kelantanese wife who is staying with him in Sandakan also could not return to her hometown.

Afiq told The Vibes of these challenges during Sandakan RMN’s Aidilfitri celebration at the navy’s housing complex at Mile 5, here, over the weekend.

Another navy sailor, Raja Nur Athirah Raja Horman Shah, 24, has not celebrated Raya with her family in Port Dickson for four years.

She said she is glad that she is the only one of her three siblings unable to return home for Raya, otherwise her parents would feel very lonely.

“On the night before Raya, I would video call them and wish them Selamat Hari Raya, and would ask for their forgiveness, and pray for their wellness,” she said.

Nur Athirah said her family had edited her face into their family photo for Raya last year, a source of mirth to her relatives.

Away from home, Nur Athirah considers her navy colleagues as family and spends the first day of Raya attending celebrations at the Sandakan RMN housing complex.

No, I am not sad. What am I supposed to do? This is my duty. Everyone here wearing a uniform is on duty. Everyone here cannot return home to celebrate Raya. So we feel like we are all a big family, celebrating the festivities together for a couple of hours before resuming our work,” she said. 

The Sandakan RMN Raya celebration was attended by some 300 navy personnel and their families.

Navy Chief Adm Datuk Abdul Rahman Ayob attended the celebration here to boost morale and foster interpersonal relationships after appearing at similar events in Tawau and Semporna. – The Vibes, April 24, 2023