Cheerful and smiling pretty ladies welcome visitors to PWTC Hari Raya open house.
Dressed in their best traditional attires to greet visitors.
Long queues waiting patiently to get in.
Visitors consisting of various different races.
There was continuous stream of visitors even near closing time.
Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi and wife Jeanne Abdullah in cheerful mood.
Government television station RTM interviewed the PM and wife.
Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were interviewed by a local televison station.
The PM and wife received stream of visitors at the open house.
Even the wheel-bound came to wish "Selamat Hari Raya" to the PM and DPM .
The food is served buffet styled.
The main hall, Dewan Merdeka, was beautifully decorated with colourful lights.
The singer belted out all the Hari Raya favourite songs.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was a hot favourite of the mass media who would not let him go without an interview.
Education Minister Dato' Seri Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein interviewed by NTV7. His wife Yang Mulia Tengku Datin Seri Marsilla Tengku Abdullah looked on.
Tourism Minister Dato' Sri Azalina Dato' Othmad Said interviewed by Government television station RTM.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Dato' Shahrir Abdul Samad interviewed by Malaysian national news agency Bernama.
This bodyguard of the PM (in the background facing camera) with eyes like a hawk keeping watch on visitors who came to greet his boss.
Red Crescent team members on standby duty.
I was at the PWTC Hari Raya open house that the Prime Minister of Malaysia Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi and his Muslim cabinet hosted today Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
This is the first time I attended the open house at PWTC. I did not balik kampung over the long holidays as I did not get leave on Friday, October 3, 2008 so instead of spending my time at home I took this opportunity and know it would be good to come here and feel what is it like to be mingling with the Prime Minister and his ministers!
This is surely one opportunity where the public can meet the leaders as well as everyone present in wishing Selamat Hari Raya and strengthening community spirit and increase understanding and tolerance amongst Malaysia's various ethnic population. And of course the public also get to enjoy a wide range of traditional Hari Raya fare and local favourites.
A big crowd already gathered inside PWTC since 10.00 am to enter the hall which opens its door to the public only at 12.30 pm until 4.30 pm. I was already there at 11.00 am with my two faithful cameras to join the long queue already forming and getting longer by the minutes. Hmm…..so I have to stand in line for another 1½ hours before they let me and the rest in but I am not sure for the old women and children. I saw one Malay lady dressed in her new traditional attire nearly fainted and had to be carried out by family members to get some fresh air.
There were five dining halls used for the open house where the festive treats are served.. So visitors do not get to meet the leaders if they were routed to the other four halls, i.e. Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, Dewan Tun Dr Ismail, Dewan Tun Razak 3 and Dewan Tun Razak 4.
I was in the big crowd that were routed to one of the halls at the ground floor. The food was okay. They have fried rice, fried noodles, curry puff, fried chicken and traditional cookies. I had a quick meal and exited to make my way to the main hall, Dewan Merdeka at level 3.
I could not find the way to level 3 and was walking in circles up & down the stairs as many exits and entrances were closed for control and security reasons. Somehow I drifted out of the building at level 3 and re-enter via another entrance and, hey presto, the Dewan Merdeka came out! I realised later that this was the main entrance to Dewan Merdeka. Luck was with me!
Ok here I was having a jolly good time clicking away my cameras at all the excitements and happenings here.
The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers were standing in line to receive continuous stream of visitors who arrived via escalators from the ground floor. I hope they don’t have facial muscle aches from greeting the visitors and smiling the whole afternoon!
The mass media were here in full force. They stopped any ministers they could catch hold of and conducted press interviews straightaway.
I observed that the VIP dining hall is for Ministers and their families, senior police officers, mass media people and volunteers to feast on the dishes. The food served here is different. They featured traditional local favourites like the Satay, Mee Rebus, Roti Jala with Chicken Curry, Assam Laksa and many others. However there were also some lucky non-VIPs, me included, inside the hall trying out those saliva-dripping delicious dishes.
This is the first time I attended the open house at PWTC. I did not balik kampung over the long holidays as I did not get leave on Friday, October 3, 2008 so instead of spending my time at home I took this opportunity and know it would be good to come here and feel what is it like to be mingling with the Prime Minister and his ministers!
This is surely one opportunity where the public can meet the leaders as well as everyone present in wishing Selamat Hari Raya and strengthening community spirit and increase understanding and tolerance amongst Malaysia's various ethnic population. And of course the public also get to enjoy a wide range of traditional Hari Raya fare and local favourites.
A big crowd already gathered inside PWTC since 10.00 am to enter the hall which opens its door to the public only at 12.30 pm until 4.30 pm. I was already there at 11.00 am with my two faithful cameras to join the long queue already forming and getting longer by the minutes. Hmm…..so I have to stand in line for another 1½ hours before they let me and the rest in but I am not sure for the old women and children. I saw one Malay lady dressed in her new traditional attire nearly fainted and had to be carried out by family members to get some fresh air.
There were five dining halls used for the open house where the festive treats are served.. So visitors do not get to meet the leaders if they were routed to the other four halls, i.e. Dewan Tun Hussein Onn, Dewan Tun Dr Ismail, Dewan Tun Razak 3 and Dewan Tun Razak 4.
I was in the big crowd that were routed to one of the halls at the ground floor. The food was okay. They have fried rice, fried noodles, curry puff, fried chicken and traditional cookies. I had a quick meal and exited to make my way to the main hall, Dewan Merdeka at level 3.
I could not find the way to level 3 and was walking in circles up & down the stairs as many exits and entrances were closed for control and security reasons. Somehow I drifted out of the building at level 3 and re-enter via another entrance and, hey presto, the Dewan Merdeka came out! I realised later that this was the main entrance to Dewan Merdeka. Luck was with me!
Ok here I was having a jolly good time clicking away my cameras at all the excitements and happenings here.
The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers were standing in line to receive continuous stream of visitors who arrived via escalators from the ground floor. I hope they don’t have facial muscle aches from greeting the visitors and smiling the whole afternoon!
The mass media were here in full force. They stopped any ministers they could catch hold of and conducted press interviews straightaway.
I observed that the VIP dining hall is for Ministers and their families, senior police officers, mass media people and volunteers to feast on the dishes. The food served here is different. They featured traditional local favourites like the Satay, Mee Rebus, Roti Jala with Chicken Curry, Assam Laksa and many others. However there were also some lucky non-VIPs, me included, inside the hall trying out those saliva-dripping delicious dishes.
According to a local report which quoted a PWTC spokeman, the cost for organizing the event was about RM1.5 million!
I will be back next PWTC Hari Raya open house.
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