KUALA LUMPUR: Last minute shoppers are back in force - thanks to the 'extra 24-hour' Hari Raya announcement on Thursday.
While many city folk had already gone back to their hometowns, there are those who remain to chase after the eleventh hour cheap deals and discounts.
A check by the New Straits Times at the hotspot locations showed many shops preparing to do auction sales to clear their leftover stocks.
Two of the iconic spots explored were Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Chow Kit Road.
Thousands thronged the areas on the last day of Ramadan and the congestion continued throughout the night.
Those met by the NST said they were relieved with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri announcement as it gave them more time to stock up on festive items such as clothes and cookies.
The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad on Thursday announced that Muslims in Malaysia will celebrate Aidilfitri on Saturday, April 22.
Nurul Izzah Roslan, 22, said following the announcement, she no longer felt the need to rush to return to her hometown and instead focus on preparing for the celebration.
She said if Hari Raya was to fall on Friday, she and her family will have to be content with wearing mismatched coloured outfit.
"I'm still having trouble finding the right outfit that suits me. I believe women are a more picky when it comes to making purchases, they have to make sure that everything is really beautiful and suitable."
Another visitor, Nurul Ashikin Kamaruzzaman, 26, said there were some items that she needed to purchase before returning to her hometown.
The part-time Universiti Teknologi Mara student said she was on the lookout for Raya cookies and outfit.
"If Raya was today (Friday), I will not have a baju kurung for the third day of Raya, all the food that I plan to cook can't be made." she said.
