IPOH: This year’s 56th Merdeka Day celebration, with the theme ‘Malaysiaku Berdaulat Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku’ (My Sovereign Malaysia, My Native Land), is expected to be merrier with various programmes to be held during the Merdeka month.
Information Department director-general Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman said the programmes included the Merdeka Ramadan Expedition and Merdeka Jalur Gemilang Expedition to all the states, as well as charity work and visits to old folk homes and orphanages.
“A Merdeka Jalur Gemilang Aidilfitri expedition will be held during the month of Syawal involving visits and presentation of aid to the disabled and the needy,” he told reporters after a breaking of fast function here Saturday.
At the function, Ibrahim presented contributions to 11 retirees from the Information Department and 30 children from the Al-Mubarakah Orphanage.
He said the Jalur Gemilang Expedition was scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Aug 16 at Dataran Zero, Sungai Petani, Kedah.
On the 56th Merdeka Day parade, Ibrahim said, the venue would be at Dataran Merdeka during which the incident on the intrusion in Lahad Datu would be highlighted.
He said the Merdeka Eve celebration would be held for the first time at the Putrajaya Maritime Centre with various activities, including a fireworks competition which would be held on Aug 29 and 30.
The Information Department, he said, would also be organising various competitions, including for display of the Jalur Gemilang and short video contest.
“For the short video contest, those keen to participate will have to upload their video recordings, which should not be more than three minutes, on YouTube,” he added.
He said the department would also organise photography contest on nationhood where participants would have to submit photographs taken using the Digital Single-lens Reflex (DSLR) camera or with their handphones. — Bernama