Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has instructed all government offices to postpone the implementation of the halalbihalal of 1444 Hijri Eid al-Fitr.
He made the announcement on his Instagram account, @mohmahfudmd, on Monday as the ad interim Minister for Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform.
He asked all government institutions to start conducting halalbihalal and similar activities in the second week after Eid al-Fitr, which, as the Religious Affairs Ministry declared, would be observed on April 22 this year.
Halalbihalal is an Indonesian tradition of gathering with family, relatives, or colleagues during or after the Islamic holy day to seek each other’s forgiveness.
The minister said that government offices include ministries, non-ministerial institutions, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), military, and police.
"Amid the first week (after Eid al-Fitr or April 24–30, 2023), halalbihalal and other activities (such as syawalan, reunions, and similar events) will not be held in these places (government offices). The activities can only begin to be held after that period,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, syawalan is another variation of the halalbihalal tradition originating from Javanese culture. It is held on the seventh day after Eid al-Fitr by sharing ketupat – boiled rice packed inside a diamond-shaped woven palm leaf pouch – with relatives and neighbors.
Mahfud also said that his ministry will immediately send an official letter to government institutions regarding the instruction postponing the implementation of halalbihalal.
Separately on Monday, the minister explained that the postponement is aimed at reducing the high mobility of returning Eid travelers.
He also noted that some government officers may use their personal paid leave quotas and return later than the determined joint leave period.
Earlier, the government changed the schedule for 1444 Hijri Eid al-Fitr joint leave from April 21–26 to April 19–25 this year.
The change was stipulated through a Joint Decree of the Religious Affairs Minister, Manpower Minister, and Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister issued on March 29.
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Meanwhile, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appealed to the public to not return during the peak of the Eid return flow, which is estimated on April 24 and 25, to help ease traffic density.