23/08/2025

SATURDAY | AUG 23, 2025

6 Fishing community makes big splash

o Village residents participate in decorated boat convoy in conjunction with National Month celebrations

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The waters of the Tebrau Strait were enlivened recently with the colours red, white, blue and yellow as a fleet of fishing boats in Kampung Sungai Melayu were decorated with the Jalur Gemilang while participating in a boat convoy in conjunction with the National Month celebrations. With patriotic songs playing and flags waving, the convoy further enhanced the festive atmosphere of the traditional fishing village, which is more than 150 years old and renowned for its natural surroundings and mangrove forests. Kota Iskandar assemblyman

Kampung Melayu Eco-Tourism Village, covering a distance of three kilometres. He said the parade took about 20 minutes, ending with the handover of the Jalur Gemilang to 11 village heads in the Kota Iskandar constituency, Bernama reported. Head of Kampung Sungai Melayu fishermen Kamaruddin Ahmad said the celebration this year bore greater significance as the fishing community could celebrate independence in their own way. “The fishing community fully supports this kind of programme, and the uniqueness this time further Sungai

strengthens

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country and celebrate independence through performances and singing with other students,” she said. Muhammad Arif Naqib Khairul Kamal, 15, from SMK Pandan Jaya said the performance would deepen his appreciation of independence, as participants were briefed to understand every verse of the lyrics. “I have performed these songs before. But this time, it was different. The voices of 2,000 students singing together gave us goosebumps as participants, and would surely also do so for the audience. “I believe this feeling comes from memorising every line of the lyrics and understanding the message we want to convey, along with the movements and props such as fans, flags and umbrellas,” he said. Led by head coach Ahmad Hafiz Awaludin, the team has been training eight hours daily from Monday to Thursday for the past two months, and will present a performance accompanied by 12 songs, including a medley of Wau Bulan, Bapak Mek Datang, Dia Datang and Sayang Kinabalu , and will also accompany Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza in performing the celebration theme song. Themed “Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni”, this year’s National Day celebration will be held at Dataran Putrajaya, with Malaysia Day to follow in Penang on Sept 16. – Bernama In 2013, Kampung Sungai Melayu was chosen as a pioneer eco-tourism project through the Friends of Iskandar Malaysia Programme to preserve Malay traditions, and is also well known for its fishing activities, mussel farming and small and medium industries producing belacan (shrimp paste) and dried fish. independence. “This initiative also helps promote eco-tourism in Kampung Sungai Melayu, which attracts visitors from within and outside the country,” he said.

it by sea to show the festive spirit,” he said when met after an event to hand over national flags to village heads on Thursday. He said the fishing boats, which also serve as the backbone of eco-tourism in Kampung Sungai Melayu, joined the convoy from the Puteri Harbour Marina Jetty to the

Datuk Pandak Ahmad said the creative initiative not only brightened the celebration but also symbolised the unity of the maritime community members, whose lives revolve around the river and sea. “This time, we wanted the celebration to stand out. Previously, it was held on land. Now, we are doing

2,000 students ready for show of a lifetime SHAH ALAM: A captivating human graphics performance, combined with choir elements, is set to be among the highlights at the National Day celebrations at Dataran Putrajaya on Aug 31.

The performance, featuring 12 unity and harmony-themed songs, will be delivered by 2,000 Form One to Form Four students representing 50 secondary schools across Selangor. Choir conductor Ong Zen Kai said a new element was introduced not only for entertainment but also to present a message of unity and harmony in the context of a multi-racial society. He said the four-part vocal harmony, which forms the essence of choral singing part and the core of the performance, represents unity. “Each voice symbolises a race and just as harmony creates music, our country will prosper if we unite, with the benefits shared by all the people. “Participants have been training since last July, and their commitment reflects their patriotism and love for the country,” he said when met during central training at the KSL Esplanade Hotel recently. Ong said he conducted research and divided the participants into four groups according to their vocal strengths to produce a more impressive performance. Although he was initially doubtful about conducting 2,000 students

The students have been training eight hours a day, four days a week, for the past two months. – BERNAMAPIC

felt lucky to be selected after passing the interview and screening conducted by the Selangor Education Department, allowing her to experience the celebration firsthand rather than merely watching it on television as in previous years. “To be honest, being among the 2,000 participants really boosted my spirit to express my love for the

to deliver a meaningful singing performance.” Meanwhile, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Saujana Putra student Nik Alesya Dania Zaidi said she was thrilled to collaborate with participants from across Selangor for the highly anticipated National Day performance. The Form Three student said she

singing together, the teacher at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Serdang Baru 1 said his confidence grew after witnessing their determination during several joint training sessions. “Usually, I handle only 30 to 40 students at school. But the spirit of Malaysia is evident in how each participant gave their best, and united