KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysia Day celebration today brought this year’s National Month to a close. There were various meaningful activities by Malaysians from all walks of life.
This is the second year Malaysia celebrated its National Day and Malaysia Day under the new norms of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Checks by Bernama on social media found that since the National Month was launched on August 7, Malaysians, including schoolchildren, took the opportunity to express their love for the country in their unique way.
Students and teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seksyen 24 Shah Alam, Selangor, came together online to celebrate National Day on August 31 via the school’s YouTube channel. They went live once again this morning in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.
Among the activities held were a virtual choir performance, a chit-chat session and a traditional costume competition.
The school's co-curriculum unit went all out in promoting today’s event. They produced and uploaded a teaser to generate public interest.
"On August 31, the students were so excited to perform a countdown. They got to shout ‘Merdeka’ three times at the top of their lungs,” the school's headmaster Azman Mohd Aris told Bernama recently.
Azman said the activities organised by the school in conjunction with the National Month received an encouraging response from the public. He hoped it could instil the spirit of nationalism among the young generation.
The school's senior assistant for co-curriculum, Zuhana Abdul Samad said that she hoped the school’s efforts would inspire Malaysians, especially the students, to feel more love and affection towards the country. It is also to motivate them to appreciate the true meaning of independence.
SK SS 19 Subang Jaya senior assistant for co-curriculum Nazaruha Sungip said school staff still made efforts to enliven the National Month celebration under the new norms as they wanted to cultivate patriotic spirit among students.
She said the school hosted various activities. A piano performance of the popular patriotic song ‘Sejahtera Merdeka’ by its music teacher that was uploaded on YouTube caught the attention of many viewers.
She also said the school wanted to ensure that the National Month celebration did not go by without meaningful activities. It was a chance to instil patriotic spirit among the students.
Nazaruha added that the restrictions imposed during this pandemic were not an obstacle to celebrate it together.
Meanwhile, Nur Hidayah Hasbi expressed her excitement when her son Muhammad Abbas Uqael Mohd Affizin, six, from Tadika Kemas Kg Jawa, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan was announced the winner of a virtual poetry recitation competition and went on to represent Port Dickson at the state level.
"We really did not expect to win. We hope this will encourage children to embrace the spirit of patriotism," said the 31-year-old mother in a post on her Facebook account. – Bernama, September 16, 2021