GEORGE TOWN: For Siti Rozana Bahru, 37, it is a must to attend the Kedah Road flats’ open house here on the first day of Hari Raya.
The private hospital worker said her celebration would be incomplete if she does not attend the open house.
“Being at the open house organised by the Kedah Road Welfare Association on the first day of Syawal is a must as I get to meet my relatives and friends,” said the former resident who lived there for 10 years.
She attended the open house held on Monday with her three children, aged between six and 15.
Siti Rozana said her husband, a Penang Island City Council (MBPP) worker, is a committee member of the association.
Housewife Hanisah Md Elias, 39, who left the flats four years ago after having lived there for many years, said she has been attending the open house on the first day of Syawal for more than a decade.
“My children grew up here and when I come back on the first day of Hari Raya, I get to meet my former neighbours and friends,” she said.
Hanisah added that she attends the open house every year together with her husband, who works at a bank, and their two children.
Government retiree Khairuddin Mohamad Tawfik, 67, who has been residing at the Kedah Road flats since 1990, said his children and grandchildren would also return from outstation to celebrate Hari Raya at the open house.
“It’s like a family gathering or reunion here as we get to meet all our friends,” he said.
Tanjung MP and Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, who was present, said in her speech that differences in opinion should not be a reason for misunderstanding and divisiveness.
“Unity needs to be nurtured with respect for each other and understanding among various races and religions.
“We need these values to build a strong society, which lives in harmony and stays united,” she added.
More than 150 people attended the open house.
Among them were Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaresan and MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran.
The Kedah Road Flats (also known as Komplek Jalan Kedah or Flat Jalan Kedah) is a public housing project that was completed in 1987 and offers budget- friendly housing options in a high-density area with ample amenities nearby.
The project was preceded by the Macallum Street Ghaut flats, which was the first public housing project undertaken by the Penang Development Corp.
