As our nation celebrates Hari Raya, we wanted to take this time to acknowledge and appreciate the communities around us through the eyes of the people of Sunview. Cultivating connection and community in workplaces and other circles alike create happier and healthier people, and at Sunview we see the importance of highlighting teams who continue to strive to deepen the sense of togetherness.
In this final episode of, “Raya Reflections,” we will be taking a look at how appreciating the people around us whether they are from the workplace, our neighbourhood or even our friends allow all of us to grow, as well as strengthen the sense of community.
This Raya Reflections, we sat down with our fellow employees in renewable energy (RE), Mastura (M) and Nurul Adira (NA), of our Project Support department. The team has grown since the beginning of Sunview and champion togetherness in the office. Let’s hear from them on how they are celebrating the Raya season and how to best appreciate the people around us.
Selamat Hari Raya! How will both of you be celebrating this year?
M: So, this is our first-time celebrating Raya with our husbands! As I stay in Malacca and my husband’s hometown is in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, so we will be visiting my husband’s family this year!
NA: My husband’s hometown and my hometown are about 1 km apart in Kuantan, Pahang. So, on the first day of Raya, we will be spending it with our spouses and second Raya we will going back to my mom’s hometown in Segamat, Johor. Every first Raya we will have open house at my parent’s house, but this year I may not helping them during open house, but I will make sure I visit them on the first day of Raya. By then, we will go to other relatives’ open house and exchange greetings and warm wishes, exchange duit Raya but now we are married so no more duit Raya for us (laughs)!
M: Same thing with me, we start with our morning prayer, then we go to the mosque, and you can see it’s like a fashion show and then we will come home and have our special big breakfast which marks the end of our holy month of Ramadan. After practicing self-restraint from food during Ramadan then during Raya we will eat more! (laughs) It will be extra more during the breakfast, with lemang, rendang, ketupat and more, everything we did not get during Ramadan. After we have that big breakfast, we will salam-salam together, ask for forgiveness from our parents, our siblings.
NA: And this year it will be our husbands! (laughs)
Sounds like quite the Raya! Since Raya is the time for forgiveness and appreciation, do you have anything to share from working with your team members?
NA: Whether it's a text message or an email, let them know you see and appreciate their hard work in meaningful ways like:
- The best way to show appreciation is by being a good listener. Take the time to hear your colleagues out and offer support if needed.
- Remember, a small gesture can make a big difference. So, take a moment to spread some love in the office to build positive relationships and achieving common goals.
M: We can let go everything and you will feel lega and they also can feel that it is easier to bond together.
From my time working with colleagues, I have learned the importance of patience, empathy and understanding. People come from different backgrounds and have different communication styles, and being able to empathize with others' viewpoints and adapt my own communication accordingly has been invaluable in fostering positive working relationships.
Indeed, the team has grown over the years inside and out. So, given the expansion of the team what are the differences from when you celebrated Raya together then vs now?
M: The more, the merrier. There are more stories we can share together so within our own department we can share about our own lives. If let’s say one of us has a problem outside of work, we can help and if we face a challenge on the job, they can help us. Kadang-kadang, we will have team building, meals outside, last year we went to Splash Mania at Gamuda Cove.
NA: After our makan session, sometimes our team will go to Mid Valley together in a Grab! We also share our stressors together cause each person in the team has a different stress and requirements that come with different projects.
These are great insights on how to best appreciate the people around you. As both of you are in renewable energy (RE) and Raya is a time to appreciate the greater community, what are your views on practicing sustainability this festive season?
M: During Raya, we tend to have a lot of food so to maintain the sustainability, we must make sure that all food is finished within the day! In order to finish the food, we need to call everyone and share with others, so it is a chance for us to reconnect with other relatives. So, the thing is that it is food tapi untuk menghabiskan makanan, we will reconnect with others.
During Raya, the open houses are not just 1-3 days, it would go up till 30 days and you can imagine 30 different varieties of foods from different houses so to make it sustainable, we practice environmental awareness to reduce food waste and for decorations, we reuse the decorations instead of buying new ones.
NA: Transportation! Since everyone is going back home, to make it sustainable, it is good to carpool.
Another thing to note is that for baju Raya, you do not have to buy new clothes, you can exchange between your siblings, and it would be new baju for that year.
Very practical tips for staying sustainably conscious! Do you have any advice for everyone else celebrating Raya?
NA: Safety First: Raya Road trips are always fun, carpooling with your friends & family while listening to Raya songs. So, be sure to send your car to the service centre to get it checked first. Don’t forget to double check all the outlets in your home to ensure that everything is switched off too.
Eat well, live well: Hari Raya is heavenly celebration for all the foodies out there. With all the Raya cuisines being served, it can be hard for one to stop eating. Even though food is life, don’t forget to watch your calories intake. Stay healthy!
M: Need to cherish the moment with family, tak selalu together-together, not just this year, but Hari Raya is two (2) days of holidays. May this Hari Raya bring us closer together with our families, spouse and faith.
Appreciate each other more, not everyone can terima what we have planned for, for me, it is understanding how everything happened. This holy month of Ramadan and Aidilfitri means to let go of the grudges and appreciate my teams more.
A simple thank you, text or call to our loved ones, colleagues will make a difference so they will be happier and embrace the spirit of forgiveness this Raya.
By performing small acts of kindness and taking the time to understand the people around us make a huge difference, according to Nurul Adira and Mastura. At Sunview, we emphasize the importance of lifting one another up, appreciating the small things and big wins as a group.
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