Association celebrates 80th anniversary
TAWAU: Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Tawau (PKMT), established in 1938, is the most appropriate and feasible to organize the Malaysia Day celebration to commemorate and appreciate the history of Malaysia’s Formation.
Tanjong Batu assemblywoman Datuk Hamisa Samat when oficiating at the closing ceremony for the Tawau Night Run 3 km, said she hoped that the program will be able to become an annual event of PKMT in collaboration with the Tawau Municipal Council (TMC) in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration every year.
Hamisa congratulated PKMT and TMC for their success in organizing a vibrant program for the Tawau people that also saw active involvement of PKMT supreme council members since the early 1990s.
She also hoped the 80-year-old PKMT could continue the agenda and struggle to help Tawau’s children.
Hamisa said PKMT was set up by a group of Tawau Islamic Malay children who had the consciousness to defend and guard the welfare of Tawau Malays in terms of socio-economic and education where Tawau Malay society at that time saw that the British did not show much care or concern for the rights of the Malay primarily in terms of socioeconomic and education.
All of us as a Malay community and Tawau Jati need to safeguard and preserve this oldest association in order to survive and keep the interests of Malay children in Tawau, said Hamisa who was also active as one of the PKMT supreme council members in the early 1990s.
Hamisa said she will continue to support every PKMT program and it is time for young people in Tawau to come forward with their senior leaders in PKMT to ensure PKMT survives and is relevant in its struggle.
PKMT was the first Malay community group established in Tawau in 1938. One of its founders, the late Penghulu OKK Kee Abu Bakar bin Kee Abdullah, is a respected leader in this area. PKMT is an organization that has unified all ethnic groups before independence and is also directly involved in championing independence in Sabah, especially in Tawau.
This year PKMT celebrates the 80th anniversary of its establishment.
In conjunction with its 80th anniversary, PKMT organized the Tawau District Level 2018 Day Carnival with the cooperation of the TMC from September 15 to 17.
According to PKMT deputy president cum organizing chairman, Ismail Awang, various events and interesting activities were held throughout the program. The program started with the Tawau Night Run 3km event which was held on September 15 at 7 pm.
In addition, on the second day the Patriotic Song Contest was held. The event was also open to the public. The final summit of the competition was held on September 16. On the same day, there was an ‘Autoshow’ activity at the MPT square. On the thrid day, Little Stars Singing Competition and Coloring Contest for Children were held.