KOTA KINABALU: The state will be organising a tahlil and fast breaking at Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu in conjunction with the 53th Merdeka Day Eve celebration this year.
PROMOTION: Inspector Wan Mahani Wan Mansor (left) receives her rank from deputy OCPD superintendent Fadzil Mohd Ali at Sandakan police monthly assembly. Others who received promotion letters yesterday were Inspector Mohd Yusri Yaccob, constable Syed Shahril Syed Musa, constable Wagner Nyala and constable Lorene Jane Wilfred Toyo.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin said the event would replace the Merdeka eve celebration that had usually been held at Padang Merdeka every year.
“There is no Merdeka eve celebration this year but only fast breaking and tahlil in respect of the Ramadhan month and all are invited to attend the event,” he said to reporters yesterday.
Yahya disclosed this after chairing the main committee meeting on the National Day and the Yang Dipertua Negeri’s birthday celebrations at Wisma Pertanian here yesterday.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry said the state level Merdeka celebration is to be held at the Likas Sports Complex Multipurpose Hall on Aug 31 this year.
“The event will start at 7am and various light activities such as a parade and raising of the national flag will be performed, similar to that done last year as the event falls on a fasting month,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yahya said the proposed Malaysia Day celebration would be discussed at the Sabah cabinet meeting.
He said usually, the state government would heed the federal government in celebrating national events.
“I will raise the matter at the (state) cabinet meeting.
Actually, we planned to hold a state-level National Day celebration simultaneously with the Yang Dipertua Negeri’s 64th birthday celebration to save cost.
“As Malaysia Day is a public holiday, it would be a waste if we do not celebrate it,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declared Sept 16 a public holiday to mark the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Sabah and Sarawak gazetted the date as state holidays by naming it the Yang DiPertua Negeri’s birthday anniversary.
Yahya said that the Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri’s 64th birthday celebration would be held on the first Saturday in October with a parade at Padang Merdeka.