‘BAKUL KEMBARA PERPADUAN’ SPARKS JOY AT MADANI UNITY PICNIC

By Norhayati Mohd Akhir

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- Visitors couldn’t hide their smiles and laughter as they received the Bakul Kembara Perpaduan, containing food, drinks, fruits, and mats in conjunction with the MADANI Unity Picnic, held today at Dataran Putrajaya.

Introduced for the first time by the Ministry of National Unity (KPN), the initiative involved parents with children in kindergartens under the ministry (Tabika Perpaduan) across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Muhammad Hafiez Hamzah, 36, from Kajang, Selangor, who learnt about the programme through KPN’s Facebook page, said he started queuing for the picnic basket at 4.30 pm.

“The basket had fried vermicelli, nuggets, traditional cakes, mineral water, apples and a picnic mat…It’s really fun,” he told Bernama.

A mother of eight, Ummu Mubarakah Arkom Somnas, 31, described the ministry’s move to distribute the picnic baskets as ‘delightful’, bringing joy to recipients and fostering family bonding in a relaxed, enjoyable setting.

“My children were thrilled to receive free food. They love fried chicken, and the basket even had fried chicken to go with noodles,” she said.

Meanwhile, Nurul Aini Abd Hamid, 43, from Dengkil, said she attended the picnic, which is held in conjunction with the Rancakkan MADANI Bersama Malaysiaku programme, with her husband and children after learning about the event through a WhatsApp group chat for her child’s kindergarten.

She also commanded the event’s smooth management, saying that collecting the baskets was quick and easy, even with a crowd of visitors eager to get their hands on KPN’s giveaway.

The MADANI Unity Picnic took a relaxed, community-focused approach, with the Bakul Kembara Perpaduan as a key highlight. The initiative aimed to foster unity among people from all walks of life, strengthening not only community ties but also family bonds and the values of MADANI in everyday life.

The three-day Rancakkan MADANI programme, which kicked off yesterday, features over 300 public service touchpoints, a career carnival, interactive exhibitions, family entertainment and a variety of special offers.

The national-scale programme is organised by the Prime Minister’s Office through the Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit (PACU) and aims to attract 300,000 visitors. It runs from 9 am to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to officiate the closing ceremony at 11 am tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA