THOUSANDS enjoyed themselves at Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s Raya open house at his official residence in Saujana, Johor Baru.
For one Johor family of five, visiting the MB’s open house has become an annual affair and a way to spend the holidays together.
“It sounded like an interesting thing to do on a public holiday.
“So we decided to give it a try and the experience turned out to be so much better than what we had imagined.
“We got to see people of all races come together and there was also a wide variety of food,” said Tee when met during this year’s open house.
She said her family decided to attend this year’s event to enjoy the festivities with other guests.
“We plan to come again next year and make this an annual trip,” said Tee, who works in Singapore.
Echoing the sentiment was teacher Azizah Abd Kadir and her family.
They had travelled from Simpang Renggam to Johor Baru to visit the grave of Azizah’s mother-in-law.
“Since the Mentri Besar’s official residence was nearby, we decided to attend his open house.
“I’m glad we did. I was surprised by the variety of food, including my favourite laksa Johor.
“But the best part about the open house is how people from different backgrounds can get to know each other as they eat together,” she said, adding that her family also plans to attend the open house annually.
P. Sivaneswaran said he and his family started attending the Mentri Besar’s open house three years ago.
“It is a way for people of all races to get to know each other and for families to spend quality time together.
“I hope the current and future Mentris Besar will continue this tradition,” said the Rela (People’s Volunteer Corps) supervisor.
At the event, 34 stalls served traditional dishes such as ketupat, rendang and satay.
Onn Hafiz and his wife Datin Sharmin Fazlina Mohd Shukor greeted and mingled with guests.
