Flag hoisting campaign for FT Day
LABUAN: A total of 27 villages, 40 learning centres, over 80 government agencies and several corporate organisations have started rolling out their plans and strategies to stir feelings of pride and patriotism by hoisting flags in conjunction with the Federal Territory Day (FT Day) 2018.
The flag hoisting campaign, witnessed by more than 1,000 Labuan folks, was held simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya yesterday.
According to Labuan member of parliament Datuk Rozman Isli, the flag hoisting campaign was aimed at nurturing love and respect for the provinces as well as becoming a symbol of unity.
Federal Territory Day 2018, carrying the same theme of ‘Wilayah Ceria, Rakyat Sejahtera’, was the 14th celebration held since 2004 to commemorate the unification of the three provinces of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan as a more vibrant city.
A total of 2,000 flags were hoisted around the town area beginning yesterday with a total of 1,307 people taking part in various programmes such as car convoy, motorcycle convoy, fun ride, fun run, fun walk, colouring competition and people’s carnival.
A number of other programmes listed for the month-long event beginning February 1 include the Special Friday Preaching (Khutbah Jumaat Khas) to be held in conjunction with FT Day on January 26, followed by Labuan Berselawat and Program Berilmiah, Majlis Khatam Al Quran and the official opening of Masjid Al-Mahmudiyyah on February 9, while Kenduri 1 Wilayah and the Federal Territory Day celebration night will be held on February 10.
Local Jainuddin Djimin, when met, said hoisting the flag was one way to show how proud Labuanites feel to belong to the Federal Territory of Labuan.
“It is my great pleasure to join the government and people of Labuan in the joy of flying the national and federal territory flag aloft on every entity and house as a symbol of belonging to the federal territory and Malaysia and in recognition of the high esteem in which it is held in the hearts of Labuan folks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tiara Hotel Division Manager Yatie Yussof said, “Raising the flag expresses the particularity of our island as one of the federal territories, its identity, its components and the development of its achievements and its development indicators, and the flag represents the unity of the people.”
Many took to social media to post pictures and videos of flag-raising ceremonies held in Labuan Square yesterday across the island.