ALOR GAJAH: Teamwork and consensus can do wonderful things.
This perhaps best describes the efforts of the Felda Tun Ghaffar Hutan Percha community here in preparing the Laman Cahaya Lebaran 3.0.
In a show of unity, the second to fourth-generation settlers comprising the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities pooled their resources and toiled for about a month to beautify the site at the children’s playground in the settlement with decorative lamps.
Mohd Yusoff Jambak, 59, head of the Felda Tun Ghaffar Hutan Percha settler community, said the youth and adults of various ethnicities used their spare time at night to decorate the playground, completing the project in the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
“In this Felda, there are 285 settler houses with 219 Malay families, 60 Chinese families and six Indian families. All of them are very close to each other.
“They have also proved that succeeding generations can contribute ideas and energy towards community unity, thereby rejecting the negative perception of outsiders who often associate Felda youth with drugs,” he told reporters here on Sunday night, Bernama reported.
Mohd Yusoff added that the construction of Laman Cahaya Lebaran 3.0 is now in its third year with each year having different decorations through ideas and discussions among Felda residents.
“This year, we allocated about RM15,000 from various contributions. Laman Cahaya Lebaran 3.0 this time has three different themes, namely Malay, Chinese and Indian.
“The construction of Laman Cahaya Lebaran 3.0 also helps to attract visitors during Visit Melaka Year 2024,” he said. The decorations will be maintained until the end of Syawal.
Meanwhile, Machap Jaya assemblyman Ngwe Hee Sem said he is proud of the unity of the community in Felda Tun Ghaffar Hutan Percha, especially among the younger generation who is willing to work tirelessly until the early morning to complete the project.
The state health, human resources and unity committee chairman said it also reflects the spirit of harmony among races in successfully carrying out projects that benefit the community.
“Previously, during the Chinese New Year celebration, the people here, especially the Malays and Indians, also cooperated to help the Chinese community decorate the basketball court with various lanterns.
“Unity in this Felda is solid, and I hope it sets an example for other communities in fostering the spirit of harmony among them,” he said.
