KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Immediately after returning from a visit to Terengganu, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim spent time visiting the ‘Setel Raya Starvendors KLCC Mega Raya Fest 2023’ (Starvendors 2023) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here last night.

The prime minister, who arrived at 11pm, was welcomed by Starvendors Event Sdn Bhd managing director and founder Datuk Ifa Raziah.

He then officiated the festival which will run for 100 hours non-stop from April 13-17.

Anwar thanked visitors for the support given to local traders and artistes at the sales festival and described it as a good development for the country.

He even cracked jokes with visitors when they asked him about the date for Aidilfitri.

"Many are asking when is Raya... Raya is on Syawal 1... Insya-Allah, we will complete our Ramadan,” he said briefly before thousands of visitors at the festival.

His presence for an hour at the festival attracted the attention of many visitors. Anwar also chatted with traders and mingled with visitors, including giving them the opportunity to take ‘selfies’.

The festival, which features more than 600 stalls made up of vendors selling various products including food, clothing, jewellery, Raya cookies and homeware, is targeting more than three million visitors this year.

Starvendors 2023 is made morelively with the involvement of over 100 local artistes promoting their products, including Ramlah Ram, Noraniza Idris, Scha Alyahya, Awal Ashaari, Elyana, Achey Bocey, Nadia Brian, Nana Mahazan, Izara Aishah, Shaheizy Sam, Syatilla Melvin, Sharifah Rose and many more.

The Starvendors 2023 edition is expected to break the Guinness World Records by organising a non-stop 100-hour event.

Last year, Starvendors brought together more than 350 entrepreneurs and 50 celebrities, and received a total of 2.6 million visitors, setting a record as the ‘Longest Non-Stop Raya Festival’ in the Malaysia Book of Records with a 75-hour Raya exhibition. — Bernama