Unforgettable Ramadan of new routines

Mr Saparin Rasikin, his wife Rahima Daiman, their daughter Nur Amalina Saparin and her husband Muhammad Faris Abdul Malik videochatting with the older couple's other children and their families yesterday.
Mr Saparin Rasikin, his wife Rahima Daiman, their daughter Nur Amalina Saparin and her husband Muhammad Faris Abdul Malik videochatting with the older couple's other children and their families yesterday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

This has been a Ramadan they will not forget. Instead of meeting their children, retired sports editor Saparin Rasikin, 70, and his wife Rahima Daiman, 67, a housewife, have been videochatting with their daughter and two sons at least once a week, after breaking fast each day.

The couple live with their other daughter Nur Amalina Saparin, 27, a lawyer, and her husband Muhammad Faris Abdul Malik, 30, in a five-room Housing Board flat in Hougang, but have not met their other children and grandchildren during the circuit breaker as they are in different households.

But the family members have come up with their own way of bonding, and have cooked or ordered the same meals for their "online" dinners.

Today, they will also break their tradition of going to the mosque for prayers. Instead, they will tune in to livestreamed sermons.

President Halimah Yacob said families can still make this Aidilfitri a meaningful one by keeping in touch while staying safe. This is so everyone can look forward to better celebrations ahead, she said.

Cara Wong

• Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wishes all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

• The Straits Times wishes all Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on May 24, 2020, with the headline Unforgettable Ramadan of new routines. Subscribe