KUALA LUMPUR – More than 15,000 revellers thronged the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium ahead of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s arrival at the Malaysia Madani open house in Kota Baru today.
Many of the visitors arrived at the stadium compound as early as 6pm in hopes of getting a chance to meet Anwar, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman.
At the event, the Prime Minister’s Department strategic programmes unit head, Alfizan Omar, said the menu for the event consists of dishes that would be served during Raya festivities.
“For the prime minister’s open house here in Kelantan, food is being served by themed stalls.
“We have roti jala, cucur udang, murtabak, roti canai, and many more,” he said in an interview with RTM.
Alfizan also said the event featured performances by several local artists, alongside a musical group from the Royal Malaysian Police, apart from a dikir barat show.
“We have also prepared ample parking for the attendees within the stadium and its surrounding areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Harian Metro reported that Rozita Ariffin, a 33-year-old housewife from Pasir Tumboh came to the stadium with her husband, Mohd Hanafi Mohd Zain, 36, and their three children aged between two and eight.
She said they attended the open house because her son, Muhammad Amar Danish, 8, wanted to meet the prime minister, since he had only seen Anwar on television.
“When we arrived at 7pm, there were already many others here at the event.
“However, we are grateful that there are still many seats available, in addition to the interesting menu for the night,” she said.
Self-employed Ahmad Arif Zainal Abidin, 38, said he had travelled all the way from Labok, Machang with his friends to experience the atmosphere at the open house.
“We left at 6pm and arrived at 7pm. When we arrived, we did not expect the open house to be this lively,” he told the Malay daily.
Earlier, Anwar announced that the federal government is allocating over RM103.86 million to imams, bilal, Kafa teachers, and other religious figures in Kelantan this year.
Prior to that, Anwar also hinted that the east coast states, namely Kelantan, may receive additional allocations from the federal government. – The Vibes, May 12, 2023
