10,000 ATTEND PENANG'S MADANI AIDILFITRI EVENT, SHOWCASING MALAYSIAN UNITY, HARMONY

BUTTERWORTH, April 12 (Bernama) -- The attendance of Malaysians from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities at the state-level MADANI Aidilfitri 2025 celebration in Penang served as a platform for promoting racial unity, reflecting the strong and enduring harmony among Malaysians.

L. Delvind Raj, 19, said he was delighted to witness Malays, Chinese, and Indians gathered together at the same table, enjoying various festive dishes during the event at the PICCA Convention Centre @  Butterworth Arena today.

He said while Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, other communities also joined in the festivities. This spirit of harmony embodies the essence of Malaysia MADANI.

"This is the real Malaysia MADANI. We can see all races together, enjoying a variety of food," he told Bernama at the event.

The student from Penang Matriculation College, from Mak Mandin, attended the event with his grandmother and two sisters. He said that they had planned to come after learning about it the previous week.

Private sector employee Teoh Ruey Jiun, 36, was emotional seeing such a large gathering of multiracial and multi-faith Malaysians at one event.

He said it showed positive inter-ethnic relations and displayed no signs of discord.

"I have friends from various races -- Malays, Chinese and Indians -- and we maintain good relations. We are one Malaysia, and events like this show all races coming together to celebrate Aidilfitri.

"It's truly enjoyable to be a part of this celebration, and I also got to savour a variety of dishes like nasi kandar and traditional kuih, all of which were delicious," said Teoh, who came with his younger brother from Bagan Lalang.

Echoing a similar sentiment, V. Mathi, 25, said such events bring together people of different races and religions, adding that such events provide an opportunity to enjoy rarely available delicacies outside of the festive season.

"Here, there are so many food choices. I get to taste festive dishes that are usually hard to find outside the holiday season," she said.

Trader Harun Ishak, 62, attended the lively open house celebration with his mother and sibling.

"At my table, we had Chinese and Indian guests dining together. There's no issue ... in fact, we get to know each other and at the same time celebrate our differences," he said.

The celebration, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, attracted 10,000 visitors.The PICCA Convention Centre in Butterworth was the fourth venue for the Aidilfitri series of celebrations, following Melaka, Pahang and Kelantan.

Present at the event were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

With the theme 'Ihsan Menyentuh Jiwa, Toleransi Menyatu Negara,' the event was jointly organised by the Penang government and Human Resources Ministry. The event was held from 2.30 pm to 5 pm.

Visitors enjoyed a variety of dishes and were entertained by performances by artistes such as Malaysian rock legend Datuk Hattan, 1990s pop singer Aris Ariwatan and vocalist Black Hanifah.

-- BERNAMA