KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Total cash prizes of RM23,000 are among the main attractions of a series of competitions held in conjunction with the 2026 National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM) celebrations, in an effort to further foster patriotism among Malaysians.

Communications Ministry Strategic and Corporate Communications Division assistant secretary Muhammad Khairul Nazmi Jamsari said the initiative comprises two main categories, namely the Lensa Malaysia Photojournalism Competition and the AiMAGINASI Malaysia Competition.

He said both competitions, which began on Aug 10 and will end on Sept 20, provide a creative platform for members of the public to express their love for the country.

"The Lensa Malaysia Photojournalism Competition 2026 offers total cash prizes of RM15,000 and is open to all Malaysians aged 15 and above who are interested in photography.

"The AiMAGINASI Malaysia Competition is specifically open to young talents at higher education institutions to produce creative works based on AI technology,” he said when appearing as a guest on the Darah Muda programme broadcast by Bernama TV here today.

Besides the creative competitions, Muhammad Khairul said various community-based programmes had also been lined up, including the ‘1 House 1 Jalur Gemilang’ initiative to create a nationwide wave of flag-flying.

He said the initiative involved nine main clusters, including education, higher education, health, security, Federal and state government agencies, communities, industry, houses of worship and sports.

"The initiative is being implemented through all State Information Departments and 1,632 Madani Communities in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan to distribute Jalur Gemilang kits to the public.

Under the theme ‘Malaysia Madani: Kesejahteraan Dinikmati’, this year’s National Day celebrations will be held in Putrajaya, while Malaysia Day celebrations are scheduled to take place in Sarawak.

For more information on the national and state programme calendars held in conjunction with the 2026 HKHM celebrations, the public can visit the Merdeka360.my website.” — Bernama