Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, bore witness to its first Eid al-Adha, with Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) Head Bambang Susantono, on Thursday, celebrating the festival with construction workers and locals.

According to a statement received here on Friday, the authority head invited some 300 construction, security, and housekeeping workers for breakfast to start the Eid agenda.

"God Willing, all of the sacrifice, dedication, and contribution of the workers in developing the new capital will be recorded as a good deed," Susantono affirmed.

After breakfast with the workers, he symbolically handed over Qurban (sacrificial animals) to locals at Nurul Muttaqin Mosque in Bumi Harapan, Sepaku Sub-district, North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan.

"We hereby hand over the sacrificial animals, those being one cow and two goats. We hope it would be given to those entitled. God Willing, we will always receive blessings from Allah SWT," the capital authority head stated.

The Qurban animals provided by OIKN were purchased from local sources and handed over to the two villages of Bukit Raya and Bumi Harapan.

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Meanwhile, OIKN's deputy of social, culture, and community empowerment, Alimuddin, stated that the agenda aims to express gratitude to God and is proof of solidarity between the authority and residents.

"We are keen to engage in communication and togetherness by sharing with each other because one of the new capital's purposes is to improve the people's livelihood," Alimuddin stated.

Concurring with the OIKN deputy's view, Special Staff for Public Security of the new capital, Police Brigadier General Edgar Diponegoro, stated that the Eid al-Adha celebration and donation of Qurban animals aim to ensure that the OIKN remains close to the people.

He was also upbeat that the presence of the new capital would complement the people's lives in Sepaku Sub-district.

Moreover, Wigi, a construction worker, stated that the Eid al-Adha celebration in the new capital makes him feel at home.

"Praise be to God, the nuance is not too different than in my home. It is even more lively because (I celebrate it) with my co-workers, and there is also a feast," Wigi stated.

Related news: Eid al-Adha as moment to increase social awareness, empathy: BNPT

Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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