KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Thousands of Malay youths and veterans gathered in Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil here to attend the Malay unity movement assembly aimed to strengthen unity in empowering the Malay community.
There are some among them who have travelled hundreds of kilometres to realise the gathering’s main agenda, which according to the organiser, is towards reviving the unity and reestablishing the greatness of the Malays.
The event which will see various high profile Malay leaders attending including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was scheduled to begin with Maghrib prayers.
At the climax of the event, Najib is scheduled to deliver a special mandate in which the contents of the message is not only to be cherished by the audience at the stadium, but also for all the Malays who prioritised unity nationwide.
The event’s itinerary also includes events such as the launch of the big agendas of the 21st century, signing of the 21st century Malay ‘Waad’, mandates by Malay leaders, and launch of the permanent secretariat of the Malay Renaissance Movement.
One participant, Basirah Musa, 61, said he had long been waiting for such an event to be held to realise the unity of the nation, which needed to be strengthened, punctuated by a high sense of pride and self esteem.
Musa, who arrived from Slim River, Perak, said he and his colleagues departed as early as 12 noon to see Malays from around the country gathering and being united under one roof.
“An assembly like this should be continued to be held in the future to ensure that the spirit of the Malays does not fade, especially among the younger generation,” he said.
Ramlah Shaari, 55, from Bagan Serai, Perak, said she was proud to see the Malays assemble together in unity when they were faced with many challenges.
“The programme is expected to create awareness among the younger generation and open the minds of villagers like me who may sometimes forget to polish the spirit and unity of the Malays,” she said.
For Mohd Rizal Shukri, a 23-year-old medical student at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia, his presence at the event is to translate the spirit of Malay unity which sets aside any differences to move towards the same goal.
“I have also come to witness for myself, in close proximity, our prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak), and to listen to the contents of his speech,” he said.
The rally was initiated by the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Bumiputera Agenda Driving Unit (Teraju), Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), and National Civics Bureau (BTN). — Bernama
