190 contingents for state-level National Day
KOTA KINABALU: Preparation to usher in almost 20,000 at the state-level National Day celebration is nearly 100% ready, revealed Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji, who is also this year’s organizing committee chairman, said the government was ready for the 190 contingents partaking in the event, a number slightly larger compared to last year.
“We hope the attendance would be around 15,000 to 20,000 because the invited state and federal government officials alone are already 10,000,” he said.
“This year’s one month celebration will be diversified with the participation of the armed forces as an appreciation for our soldiers involved in the Lahad Datu intrusion,” said Hajiji whilst naming Defence Minister Dato Sri Hishammuddin Hussein as one of the federal leaders who will be present at Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens on August 31.
He told this to the media when launching the ‘Negaraku Malaysia, Sabah Tanah Airku’ Exhibition, August 24 to 31, at Basement level, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall here, yesterday.
Hajiji expressed confidence that the exhibition will expose to the people and especially today’s youth the history of Sabah’s developments, advancements and achievements since Merdeka.
He also received donations from personal collections of 1987 National Council of Women’s Organization Malaysia’s Tokoh Wanita Datuk Zahra Ismail, Malaysian living football legends Datuk ‘King’ James Wong and Datuk ‘Lipas Kudung’ Hassan Sani, as well as the 14-year National Discus Throw Record holder Gabriel Moinjil on behalf of the Sabah State Archives Department.
“This is so that their contributions to the country will not be lost just like that. They have donated their collection (to the state archives).
“The exhibition is also the committee’s initiative to appreciate their contributions,” said Hajiji.
The Negaraku Malaysia, Sabah Tanah Airku Exhibition is organized by the Sabah State Archives Department, in conjunction with the month-long National Day celebration in 2017.
The Local Government and Housing Ministry, Industry Development Ministry, Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry, Sabah Education Department, Yayasan Sabah and Sabah State Archives Department are taking part in the exhibition that starts at 10am to 10pm at the shopping complex this year.
Several activities have been lined up during the exhibition such as the screening of the ‘Kelahiran Malaysia’ documentary, a quiz contest with a variety of electrical items as prizes, door gifts for lucky visitors and so on.