FREE RELA HAIRCUTS DRAW CROWDS AT RANCAKKAN MADANI PROGRAMME

By Mohd Ashraf Syafiq Mazlan

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- Visitors to the three-day Rancakkan MADANI Bersama Malaysiaku programme at Dataran Putrajaya can receive a free haircut at a service booth organised by the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department (RELA).

Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur RELA deputy director Mohamad Syafiq Fadzil said the service operates daily from 9 am and is limited to the first 90 to 100 visitors each day.

"It has been a very encouraging response. We’ve had a non-stop flow of visitors since opening. So far, about 20 people have received haircuts, leaving around 80 slots still available for today," he told Bernama today, adding that he had also tried the service and was satisfied with it. 

He said RELA has opened a recruitment counter next to the booth for members of the public interested in joining the volunteer corps. The booth is equipped with four barber stations and a dedicated waiting area for visitors.

Meanwhile, RELA officer Dr K Rajandran, who was on duty as one of the barbers, said he was pleased with the enthusiastic response from the public. 

"The team has demonstrated that it is capable and versatile," said the officer, who has extensive experience in providing haircuts.  

The three-day Rancakkan MADANI programme, which began today, features over 300 public services, a career carnival, interactive exhibitions, family entertainment and exclusive offers.

Organised by the Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit (PACU) under the Prime Minister’s Office, the national-scale event is expected to attract 300,000 visitors. It will run from 9 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to officiate the closing ceremony at 11 am on Dec 7.

Building upon the impact of the One Year with the MADANI Government and Two Years with the MADANI Government programmes, the programme represents the tradition of reporting government achievements directly to the people on an annual basis.

It is being held concurrently with the National Public Service Reform Convention 2025, which brings together policy experts from the public service and industry leaders.

-- BERNAMA