The Faculty of Creative Industries’ Department of General Studies organised a series of events in Bulan Patriotisme 2016 in conjunction with Malaysia’s 59th National Day. Following the Patriotism Exhibition, the Kolam Competition and Malam Kebudayaan (Cultural Night) were held at Sungai Long Campus on 19 and 20 August 2016 respectively.
M. Tamil Arasi, lecturer and Secretary of the Bulan Patriotisme 2016, said, “The purpose of organising the Kolam Competition is to introduce Indian culture to all Malaysians of different ethnicities. We often see only Indians participating in kolam competitions. This time, I am happy to see Chinese and Malay staff and students showing their enthusiasm in this competition through their active participation. The kolams created today reflect the spirit of unity and harmony between the three main races in our multicultural society.” She added, “Apart from academic pursuits, it is also important for students to get involved in cultural activities to foster intercultural understanding. I hope we can attract even more participants to join us next year.”
The Kolam Competition’s winners were announced at the Malam Kebudayaan, where Team Malaysian was crowned champion. Its members were Choi Jun Kang, Khor Tze Hong and Yong Hok Nian, Physiotherapy undergraduates from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. “This is our first attempt at making kolam. We did not expect to win but joined because of our passion for art. It was very exciting and we are happy to have learnt more about kolam as well as the beautiful Indian culture through this meaningful competition,” the winning team enthused.
Top left: The winning kolam, with some other entries
*Photo Credits: Lee Yi Jazz
Team Malaysian decorating their kolam
*Photo Credits: Lee Yi Jazz
At the cultural night, the Organising Chairperson
Taufik Bin A Latif expressed his gratitude and appreciation to all the
committee members for their sacrifice and commitment for the events. He
said, “Patriotism is generally defined as the feeling of love or devotion to
your country. We must realise that being patriotic should not be limited to
only putting up a flag or merely standing up for the national anthem. The
spirit of patriotism can be elaborated through a variety of actions. Today’s
event is one of the best examples to show our patriotic spirit. Ultimately,
true Malaysians would always want the country to remain peaceful and
harmonious. Real Malaysians would ensure that the bond between fellow
citizens remains strong and intact.”
Some
performances at the cultural night
The committee members of Bulan Patriotisme
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