KUALA LUMPUR: On any other Monday, the city centre would be filled with cars accompanied by a cacophony of honks coming from irate drivers trying to navigate through the seemingly unending gridlock of Kuala Lumpur traffic.
On the first day of Hari Raya, however, the city was practically deserted. Clear, smooth roads all day made getting to destinations in the city a total breeze.
Checks at several normally congested roads, such as Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman found them fairly quiet, with only some pedestrians spotted in the area.
However, it was a totally different scenario at shopping malls and tourist attractions in the city, with many urbanites taking advantage of the holiday season to do some shopping and sightseeing.
Jalan Bukit Bintang was crowded with many tourists and locals thronging the shopping district, especially during the current sale period.
Nearby, the KLCC Park was also transformed into an almost carnival-like mood as people spent time outdoors, taking pictures, and enjoying the scenery.
The haze clearly did not dampen these visitors' spirits, as many had even brought large mats and chose strategic spots in the park for a family picnic, while the children splashed about in the pool within the park grounds.
While many families had to go outstation to "balik kampung" during Hari Raya, some families had converged at the last remaining "kampung" in the city, Kampung Baru, for the first day of Raya.
Checks in the area showed although most shops in the place had been closed for the public holiday, there were still a number of cars double parked near the houses and flats.
Families were also seen gathered on the balconies of landed houses, dressed in traditional attire, with some even playing instruments to perform for those who gathered in the houses.
Traffic was also very smooth on the highways leading into and out of the city, such as the Federal Highway and the Sprint Highway.
In Taman Tun Dr Ismail, there was a minor case of slow traffic in the morning, due to families double parking their cars along the road leading to the Muslim cemetery, as they went to pay their respects to their ancestors.
Read here: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/07/28/KL-roads-empty/