ISKANDAR PUTERI: A group of children came together to enjoy a fun storytelling session about what makes them unique as Malaysians.
The young participants gathered around storyteller Alfidah Said, fondly known as Fifie, as she brought the story to life through animated expressions, songs and questions.
“I read them Malaysia In You, an illustrated book by a United Kingdom-based Malaysian author Ayne Zarof, which introduced the children to stories about the country and its unique identity.
“It was great to see them responding positively to the story. They also put their creativity to work with colouring, and arts and crafts activities themed around National Day, giving them an opportunity to learn and interact beyond the pages of a book,” she said when interviewed.
She said the aim of the event, held at the Iskandar Puteri Tunku Mahkota Ismail Youth Centre (TMIYC), was to bring the children together and give them a chance to connect with each other.
Alfidah, who spent years living in Singapore, Australia and Germany before returning to Malaysia, said Johor Baru remained special to her as it is her hometown.
She is now based in Kuala Lumpur, where she co-founded a bookstore less than five months ago.
Mother of two Emma Ang, 39, said she is happy to see events like this that expose children to different cultures and languages.
“It was an interesting session as Fifie used singing and fun expressions to engage with the children and got them to answer questions about Malaysia,” she said.
Ang, a housewife, said reading is also a regular part of family life, with her children following a no-gadget rule at home.
“I have also been buying books by Malaysian authors in various languages for them because I think we must support and appreciate our homegrown talents for the industry to grow,” she said.
Quality engineer Iffah Nabilah Mohd Ariff, 36, said her two daughters had fun during the storytelling session and hopes to see more communal activities centred around books.
“Books have the ability to unite people from various backgrounds and I hope that community centres like TMIYC can have more collaborations with bookstores and libraries in future,” she said.
