KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — It’s that time of the year again for companies and advertising agencies to showcase their abilities in producing commercials in conjunction with the annual Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

Hari Raya advertisements have always been a tradition in the country. Various companies have utilised the festive celebration to remind workaholics and perhaps an increasingly individualised society about cultural values that are essential to us as Malaysians — regardless of race, religion and creed.

Advertisements this year have evolved from using the conventional tear-jerking themes to a rather humorous and upbeat approach in engaging fellow Malaysians.

Here is a list of 10 most memorable Hari Raya advertisements compiled by Malay Mail Online, which left Malaysians crying, laughing and sometimes, fuming.

Ikhlas, Pelaburan Mara Bhd

Featuring a star-studded cast starring Faisal Hussein, Que Haidar, and Umie Aida, this seven-minute long advertisement could possibly be the saddest Hari Raya commercial ever.

Four siblings were orphaned just a day before Hari Raya, after their parents died in a highway accident.

The siblings who travelled separately in a bus, saw the bodies of their lifeless parents being removed from the wreckage during a heavy rain. The children were seen crying and wailing in sadness after witnessing the tragedy.

Soon, their relatives had an argument on who should care for the siblings during a meeting. Fortunately, their uncle simply known as Ayah Su, decides to adopt the four siblings.  

The young girl, hugged Ayah Su and asked him why he had made the big decision. Ayah Su merely answered:” Sebab aku sayang semua anak buah Ayah Su”.

Dari Hati Ayah, Astro

Raising an autistic son isn’t an easy task. This advertisement is based on the true story of Mohd Adli, who founded the Autism café project back in 2016 to teach autistic kids to be independent through vocational training.

Adli struggles with raising his son during his formative years, as he is unable to comprehend the medical condition.

When his son becomes older, Adli soon realises that his son sees the world very differently compared to other kids. After his son turns 18, Adli quits his day job and sets up an Autistic café to assist his son in gaining independence.

The advertisement is a tearjerker, as it emphasises themes of forgiveness and how important it is to not only forgive others, but ourselves as well.

Joget Abah, KFC

Set in an upbeat tone, it features a son and a happy-go-lucky father who’s an avid fan of dancing and a ruthless prankster.

Gradually, the advertisement takes a pessimistic tone after the father passes away. His son notes that Hari Raya celebrations were never the same anymore without his father’s presence.

The son initially struggles to accept his father’s death, until he remembers the way his father celebrated Hari Raya, which is being happy and dancing all the time.

Kampung Batu 311 diselubungi misteri, Telekom Malaysia

Villagers in Kampung Batu 311 are left bewildered after broken furniture and appliances were found repaired mysteriously.

A group of kids embark on a journey to uncover the identity of the elusive handy-man, only to find an old widower speaking to a picture of his deceased wife of promises to maintain relations with his neighbours.

The word about the old man soon began spreading and villagers then went on a mission to give this old man the best Hari Raya celebration he’s ever had by decorating his house.

One fine day, the old man returns to his house and tears up after seeing it beautifully decorated and being greeted by his neighbours.

Diari Ramadan Opah, Yeo’s

Centred on the theme of maintaining family relations, this advertisement by Yeo’s starts off with a mundane family reunion at a village.

Things change when the grandkids stumble upon their grandmother’s (Opah) diary, which spoke about the gifts her children brought during the month of Ramadan.

In the diary entry, her grandmother noted that although her children had brought her a nice television after her husband had died, it still didn’t rid the feeling of loneliness.

She said:” Thankfully Raya is close, family members can finally get together”.

Her children and grandchildren finally realise that the most important things in life aren’t the material ones. After Opah exits the kitchen, her grandchildren and children then give her a big hug.

Dugaan Raya Aida, TNB

Directed by BMW Shorties winner Quek Shio Chuan, the four-minute commercial tells the story of Aida, who faces numerous challenges in making the trip home for Hari Raya.

As she stresses on completing the never-ending tasks given by her boss in office, Aida receives a phone call from her siblings back home requesting for new clothes and her mother pestering her to return home for Hari Raya.

Aida lets out a scream in office and begins to work extra hard on completing tasks given by her boss and her family members.

However, all her hard work did not manage to prevent a series of unfortunate events from taking place. Upon arriving at the bus station, Aida realises that her bus ticket has been washed up in the washing machine.

Fortunately, she meets with a friend who then offers her a ride back to her village. Halfway through the journey, Aida again realises that she had left behind the new clothes meant for her family members at the bus station.

She tears up and apologises to her family members upon arrival. Her mom then said:” It’s okay, as long as you are back for Raya”.

The video has garnered over 1,300,000 views on Facebook after it was posted online on June 13.

#Terimakasih, TV3

Directed by acclaimed director Ho Yuhang for TV3’s Hari Raya campaign, the four-minute clip centres on the hashtag #TerimaKasih.

It tells the heart-warming tale of a single mum who works two jobs as a call centre operator and a waiter in order to raise her young children.

The advertisement uses themes of humour and joy rather than the conventional tear-jerking method of telling a story.

It emphasises the importance of gratuity and highlights a single mother’s struggles in raising her children.

Selamatkan Hari Raya, Bank Simpanan Nasional

This is a story about Raj and Chong, who assume the duties of looking after the neighbourhood after houses were left empty for the Hari Raya celebrations.

Upon spotting a suspicious vehicle circling the neighbourhood, the quirky duo goes through great lengths to ensure security in their housing area.

The 6-minute advertisement depicts Raj and Chong’s humorous efforts in brightening up the streets and even cross-dressing in order to scare potential robbers away.

Pengorbanan Ayah, Hypp Inspirasi

Despite starting off with a fight between two brothers, this advertisement could possibly be one of the funniest Hari Raya commercials this year.

Based on the theme of sacrifice, the video is narrated by the siblings, depicting their father’s humorous approach in raising his children alone.

The biggest surprise in the end is when the siblings find out that their father had married the same girl that they were fighting over for.

Their father casually explained to them that it was never his intention to get married again, but he is willing to sacrifice his bachelorhood so his children could have a mother.

Legenda Cun campaign, Watsons Malaysia

While other advertisements had brought about compliments from Malaysians, this video was at the receiving end of enraged netizens who were left fuming over its use of blackface and an allegedly sexist theme.

According to Watsons Malaysia, the video was referring to the folktale of Dayang Senandung who was born cursed with black skin, and was shot to highlight the legend and its moral values of inner beauty and that true love exists.

The 15-minute short film included a stellar list of cast and cameos from celebrities such as Amber Chia, Uqasha Senrose, Sasha Saidin, Raja Ilya and Thanuja.

In it, actor Kamal Adli plays an aristocrat who was looking for a potential consort and falls in love with a lady with a beautiful singing voice, played by popular actress Ruhainies.

He is shocked when he finds out that the woman has dark skin, but is soon visibly relieved once the woman "washes off” her face, praising her beauty after she is no longer "ugly” with her dark skin.

The video ends with the quote, "Only at Watson’s you’ll be beautiful.”

Following public outcry, Watsons Malaysia apologised and removed the video shortly after.