His long journey home to break fast

Wedged in between throng of motorcyclists in the sun, Singaporean Muhammad Fareez Buhari, 23, wiped his sweat a couple of times.

He switched off his motorcycle and waited for the long line in front of him at the Woodlands checkpoint to move.

The wait lasted for more than an hour.

The second year Mechanical Engineering student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, lives in Johor Baru (JB) and commutes daily to school in Clementi Road.

Mr Fareez told The New Paper: "Especially during the fasting month, the journey home has not been easy."

On Thursday (June 30), The New Paper followed him on his motorcycle to his home, where he lives with his parents and elder brother.

Mr Fareez left school at 5pm, soon after the classes were done for the day.

He said: "Sometimes when I'm really tired and don't feel like going through the jam, I'll break fast at a nearby coffee shop and study in school.

"I'll go home around 10 or 11 at night when the jam clears."

By 5.30pm on Thursday, he was at the checkpoint, but the jam was "not that bad".

"There are some days where you can't even see the checkpoint. So you just join the queue, and wait and wait."

Some riders used umbrellas and jackets to shelter from the sun, while some fanned themselves with folded newspapers.

The line moved about a metre at a time and the riders pedalled their motorcycles forward with their legs.

That day, Mr Fareez got lucky.

By 6.45pm, he was out of the Woodlands checkpoint, a good 30 minutes before the break fast.

Drenched in sweat, he stopped by the side of the road to check his passport and dry himself before resuming his journey five minutes later.

It took him 15 more minutes to clear Malaysian immigration.

Before heading home, he stopped by a bazaar in front of his house to buy food and drinks for break fast.

He said: "If my mum cooks, I'll go home straight. But today, she's not at home so I have to buy food."

Scanning the food at the bazaar quickly, he bought a drink and curry puffs.

Muhammad Fareez Buhari buys some food from a bazaar in Johor Baru before heading home.  TNP PHOTO: Nabilah Awang

Mr Fareez reached home in the nick of time, right when the azan, or call to prayer rang on his phone, signalling the time to break his fast.

He sat at the dining table and drank tea before savouring his curry puffs.

"When I have to break fast on the road, I'll just stop by a shop by the side of the road to get a drink."

In between bites, he added: "That's why I appreciate those rare occasions where I get to break fast at home, especially with my family."

Watch Breaking Fast Across the Causeway