Participants take part in a Zumba session held during the Run for Peace event.
KUCHING: Over 4,000 peace lovers took part in the ‘Run for Peace 2019’ at Kuching South City Council (MBKS) headquarters at Jalan Padungan here yesterday in conjunction with the Month of Peace, despite the run being cancelled due to the haze in the city.
The Run for Peace activity is a non-competitive biennial event held by Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) since 2005, with the aim of raising awareness on anti-nuclear weapons and cultivating a culture of peace in the community.
SGM Sarawak chairman Tan Chai Hong reminded the participants that the world is still facing existential threat of nuclear weapons and expressed hope the world would one day abandon such weapons of mass destruction for the greater good of the world.
“So long as we possess the awareness and continue to strive earnestly to sow the seeds of peace in our heart and mind, we can one day achieve our vision to create a world free of nuclear weapons,” he said in his speech.
The event was officiated by political secretary to the chief minister Tan Kai on behalf of Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, who was originally slated to represent Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
In his speech, Tan Kai urged participants to challenge the way of thinking that justified hate, violence and discrimination, and to instead be united with people from all walks of life.
“To raise the importance of peace, the positive change within the individual is the basic of positive change in the society,” he said.
Following the cancellation of the run, participants took part in a range of pre-planned activities such as face painting, photo taking, Zumba session and visiting an exhibition on the dangers of nuclear weapons.
Run for Peace is the largest peace run in the country held in 28 locations nationwide and involving some 115,000 runners.