By Vijian Paramasivam
PHNOM PENH, April 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysians celebrated unity in diversity during Syawal, once again showcasing the colourful fabric of the nation’s multi-ethnic society, even while living abroad.
And that was exactly what they expressed - unity and bonding - during the Eid celebration hosted by the Malaysian Embassy in Phnom Penh on Sunday.
Many braved the tropical heat to feast, mingle with their fellow brethren, and enjoy the generous hospitality of the Malaysian diplomats who toiled to organise a memorable evening.
“I believe that these programmes and activities are important to us as they provide opportunities for the Malaysian community here, including the embassy to meet up and engage with one another.
“Some activities are also designed specifically to positively impact the government-to-government, business-to-business, and people-to-people relations, to foster closer relations between Malaysia and Cambodia or to further promote Malaysia to Cambodians,” Malaysian Ambassador Shaharuddin Onn said in his welcoming speech at the event, which was held at the embassy’s premises.
The embassy arranged a lavish spread of traditional Malaysian cuisine, featuring about 20 different stalls serving authentic dishes. The gathering, which saw over 300 people attend the celebration, ended with fireworks.
“With Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship this year, we will be organising several events together with the other ASEAN embassies here (Phnom Penh).
“We are adopting numerous approaches to achieve this — through conventional or traditional bilateral diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, food diplomacy and sports diplomacy,” said Shaharuddin.
-- BERNAMA
