VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Some 50 thousand Indonesian Muslims performed Eid-al-Fitr prayers in the yard of Taipei Main Station in Taiwan on Wednesday.

Owing to space restrictions in the former intercity bus terminal in Taiwan, the congregation was segregated into three groups, with the first one starting at 6:30 a.m. local time, the second group at 8 a.m. local time, and the third group at 9:15 a.m. local time

Each of the groups were guided by a bilal, imam, and preacher, who are Indonesian citizens.

Taipei Mayor Ke Wen Zhe, also present at the event, gave a speech, along with Chief of the Indonesian Trade and Economy Office (KDEI) Didi Sumedi, after the second congregation had offered the Eid-al-Fitr prayers.

"We are grateful to the Taipei city government for facilitating the Eid prayers," Sumedi emphasized.

Zhe pledged to always focus on Indonesian citizens in the city, most of whom are migrant workers employed in the formal and informal sectors.

"We consider Indonesian citizens here as being quite good, so they deserve our praise like this," he noted.

The Taipei administrator provided the place, while the KDEI offered funds to organize the event.

To hold the Eid-al-Fitr prayers at the Taipei Main Station, the Taipei administrator and KDEI collaborated with the executive boards of Nahdlatul Ulama's and Muhammadiyah's special branches in Taiwan, and other social organizations, Indonesian state-owned companies, and private companies in Taiwan. (ant)