Bank queues stretch for hours as Malaysians rush to exchange crisp new notes ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2026
THE annual tradition of exchanging new banknotes for Hari Raya Aidilfitri is testing the patience of Malaysians this year, with crowds at one bank branch in Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi reportedly waiting as long as four hours to complete their transactions.
A video shared by TikTok user @tieyshukri_94 showed a queue snaking well beyond the bank’s entrance, spilling onto the five-foot walkway and into the surrounding car park area.
The clip quickly gained traction online, with many viewers sharing their own similarly frustrating experiences.
The woman in the video recounted arriving at the branch at 9am, collecting her queue number by 9.30am, and only receiving her exchanged notes at 1pm — a four-hour wait for what many consider an essential festive preparation.
“Previous years I used a runner or asked friends to help. This year I wanted to do it myself — and look what happened. Four hours at the bank,” she wrote in the caption.
Netizens Share Their Raya Queue Woes
The video struck a chord with many commenters, several of whom described their own difficult experiences at branches across the country.
One user, Suria2026, recounted taking leave from work to queue at a branch in Parit Raja, only to discover that the final queue number he was allocated — number 60 — had been reserved for bank staff.
“It really stings. I’ve been a customer at this bank for decades. Taking time off just to come away empty-handed,” he wrote.
Another commenter, Missfagh, shared that her experience at the same Bandar Baru Bangi branch the previous year was even more drawn out — she arrived at 8am and was not served until 5pm, using up a full day of annual leave in the process. “Was it worth it? Absolutely not,” she said.
Meanwhile, a user named Ayu said she had reached her limit after five consecutive years of queuing. “My age is catching up. This year I just couldn’t manage another three-hour wait,” she commented.
The annual rush for new banknotes — a deeply rooted cultural practice tied to the giving of duit raya to children and elders during the festive season — continues to place significant pressure on bank branches in the weeks leading up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri each year.
