The Kampung Teras Jernang JPKK in front of their food court decked out with flags. (From left) secretary Ahmad Latiffi Aznor, Fadzil, treasurer Muhammad Mohd Nazri and media liaison officer Gaffar Abd Rahim.
FOLK at Kampung Teras Jernang, a village in Kajang, Selangor, hosted a Merdeka countdown on the eve of National Day at a food court.
“The food court was built in 2021 and was a focal point of activities on the eve of National Day in 2022 too. We organised a stall decorating competition, quiz and fireworks.
“This year, a similar celebration will be held with the distribution of food baskets to the poor and a motor show,” said village chief Fadzil Jantan.
He said the purpose of organising the event was to foster closer ties among residents.
“As the smallest village in Hulu Langat district with only 270 houses and a population of 1,500, we feel that such occasions will encourage residents to mingle with their neighbours.
“Such interactions are necessary for friendship, camaraderie, tolerance and understanding among fellow Malaysians,” said Fadzil.
He said the villagers were also hoping to win the Most Beautiful Neighbourhood Competition for Zone 17.
It is organised by Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day.
Six surau and 12 other residents associations and neighbourhood watch areas will be participating too.
The neighbourhood with the most eye-catching flag decoration will be awarded points by judges.
For the contest, 40 pieces of flags were contributed by MPKj.
The distribution was supervised by Zone 17 councillor Farhan Haziq Mohamed.
The Merdeka-themed motorcycle convoy from Kampung Teras Jernang to mark National Day.
Fadzil said he made it a point to give the village a festive feel during the celebrations, ever since he was made chief in 2020.
In addition to the food court, the other places decorated with flags are Masjid Teras Jernang and the public hall.
Fadzil, who owns a fruit stall and tombstone workshop on Jalan Abu Bakar Baginda, will also decorate his stalls with flags.
The cost to decorate the mosque and his stalls, said Fadzil, were borne separately and not using the village development and security committee (JKPP) fund.
For the contest, the committee has chosen to decorate the Jalan Teras bridge which spans Sungai Langat and connects to Jalan Bangi.
This is because it is a popular landmark that marks the entrance into the village.
“We have decorated the guardrails with the state and national flags as well as put up lights,” said Fadzil, revealing that RM4,000 was spent on decorations.
“We hope our efforts can inspire the younger generation and remind them of the sacrifices that were made for our country to achieve independence,” he said.
In addition, the committee also organised two Merdeka-themed motorcycle convoys which took place on Aug 18 and 24.
The two events saw 170 and 152 motorcyclists respectively, taking part in friendship rides to villages in Hulu Langat, Kajang, Semenyih and Beranang.
