JOHOR BARU: Some 50 people from all walks of life spent their evening bonding over books, traditional games and meaningful conversations in the spirit of the National month.
The event, organised by the Johor Baru Silent Book Club, began with a one-hour reading session where participants settled down with books of their choice in any language and read together in silence.
Club secretary Lee Wern Yiing said this was the third time the club had hosted a National Day-themed reading session.
“In the first year, we encouraged participants to bring books by Malaysian writers, and last year, we had participants look through newspapers to find articles or stories that reminded them of why they should be proud to be Malaysian.
“This year, we wanted to do something different and decided to blend light and more serious activities by having traditional games and giving participants a platform to discuss what Merdeka truly means,” she said.
Lee said the activities were aimed at allowing participants to celebrate National month in a way that went beyond the usual festivities while still keeping the session casual and welcoming.
In keeping with the theme, participants were given the Jalur Gemilang, while local snacks synonymous with the childhood of many Malaysians, such as Choki Choki and muruku, were served during the activities.
Export officer K. Ganaeshwari, who took part in the event, said the activities, especially the traditional games and the snacks, brought back fond childhood memories.
“This is my first event, and I decided to check it out. I really enjoyed it, and it is nice to see people of diverse backgrounds coming together to reminisce about their childhood and get to know each other through games,” she said.
Sharifah Umairah Syed Mustafa said such events could help young people develop a deeper understanding of the meaning of “Merdeka”.
Sharifah Umairah, who is pursuing a master’s degree in political science at Ankara University in Turkiye, said discussions about National Day remained important even 69 years after independence.
“We often think of independence as something that happened when we were no longer colonised by the British. But in reality, colonialism can take different forms and appear in different aspects of society.
“That is why I think it is important for us to continue having these conversations,” she said.
Software engineer Liong Kah Pong, attending the club’s silent reading session for the third time, said it was important for people to have opportunities to reflect on what independence meant and how the country’s identity had developed over the years.
“I think we have made good progress, and I hope there will be more opportunities for us to come together and strengthen that common identity as Malaysians,” he said.
