PETALING JAYA, June 16 — Malaysians have been encouraged to take part in the upcoming Run for National Unity 2017 as the event promotes unity, goodwill and tolerance.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup yesterday recalled the pleasant memories he had from the first event last year when 1,700 people joined in the run despite a downpour.
“I witnessed many beautiful moments during the run last year. I saw participants holding hands in the rain as they ran towards the finish line,” Kurup said at the event’s soft launch at Ancom Bhd here.
“I must commend the organisers for taking the initiative to weave the thread of national unity more cohesively into the fabric of society.”
Kurup said the event is the best platform to sow the seeds of patriotism and
national unity.
“Malaysians should not allow problems to deter them from being united and should reject those seeking to cause chaos,” he said.
“Recent global violence is a good reminder of the importance of joining hands towards building a better Malaysia.”
Organisers Redberry Group and HELP University expect more school children to take part in this year’s run.
Hash-tagged #cintainegaraku, Run for Unity 2017 will be held on Sept 16 in conjunction with Malaysia Day. It will be flagged off at 7.30am at Padang Merbuk, Kuala Lumpur.
Redberry chief executive officer and Ancom Bhd group managing director Datuk Siew Ka Wei hoped Malaysians would continue to look past racial and religious divides by taking part in the run.
“Any initiatives pushing the agenda of unity are of paramount importance to nation building. I hope this year’s run will be more successful and help more Malaysians recognise the vitality of racial unity,” Siew, who is also the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board chairman, said.
Echoing Siew’s sentiment, HELP University president Datuk Paul Chan said while last year’s run was a success, he wished to see the involvement of more young participants as they are the nation’s future leaders.
“Despite all the strain, Malaysia is blessed to be peaceful. We live here, we love this place and we want everyone to share the same thought,” he said.
“This year we will try to encourage as many youths as possible to participate. As future leaders, it is better to train them from a young age.”
The event is also aimed at raising funds for deserving students to pursue their tertiary education.
All proceeds will be channelled to a scholarship fund for students of all races.
The run is divided into 13 categories — men’s and women’s open (international), men’s and women’s open (Malaysian), men’s and women’s open (veteran Malaysian), primary school boys and girls, secondary school boys and girls, family team, corporate team, and physically-impaired.
The men’s and women’s categories will cover a distance of 10km, while the secondary students will cover 7km.
The primary students, team events and physically-challenged categories will each cover 5km.
Participants may register in person at the Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletic Association office on the second floor of the Olympic Council of Malaysia building in Jalan Hang Jebat, or at HELP’s students’ affairs department in Bukit Damansara. Alternatively, they may register online at www.myraceonline.com.
The fee for the men’s and women’s categories is RM50 for walk-ins and RM55 online.
The fee for students is RM30 (walk-ins) and RM35 (online), while groups and families of between three and five members will be charged between RM130 and RM180 for walk-ins and between RM145 and RM205 online.
Corporate team fees are RM250 for walk-ins and RM270 online.
The physically-challenged will only need to pay RM10 and RM15.
