KUALA LUMPUR: Yayasan Salam Malaysia (Salam), a non-government organisation formed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 1996, is gearing up for a unity-themed Explorace on Feb 8, the birthday of Malaysia’s Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj.
The Explorace will be held on foot, covering the indoor and outdoor exhibition areas at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Memorial at Jalan Dato Onn.
Besides the Explorace, there will also be a forum on mental wellbeing and cultural intelligence.
Although Salam has been around for 30 years, this will be its first event in a long time.
“We believe unity is an extremely important issue in this country, and we want to be seen actively doing something to promote it,” said Salam trustee Datuk Yong Soo Heong.
“This year, we want to revive our activities in a meaningful way. That is how we hit upon the idea of a unity-themed Explorace on the 123rd birthday of our Father of Independence.
“We also felt it was appropriate to hold the event at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Memorial, as he is strongly associated with the idea of unity.”
Besides the two events organised by Salam, there will also be a photo exhibition at Muzium Negara to celebrate Tunku Abdul Rahman.
For the Explorace, teams will be made up of participants from different racial backgrounds, including Chinese, Indian, Malay and others, so that diversity is built into the activity itself.
“For schools, we will allow them to send representatives, but the teams will be mixed on the morning of the event,” Yong said.
“The idea is for students to meet and work with peers from different racial backgrounds, helping them form new friendships and encouraging greater understanding.
“This is intended to ensure a joyful, interactive experience where unity in diversity is lived. It is also an avenue for new friendships and the rediscovery of shared bonds.”
The mental wellbeing forum will feature distinguished speakers, including Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj, president of the Malaysian Mental Health Association, and Dr Jamel Kaur Singh, an inter-ethnic relations strategist and author based in Melbourne, Australia.
The forum will explore practical strategies to safeguard mental wellbeing for healthier communities and greater workplace productivity, foster cultural intelligence to strengthen cohesion among Malaysia’s diverse races, and promote greater awareness of national unity.
There will be an entry fee, and any surplus funds will be channelled back into further charitable activities.
For enquiries, WhatsApp 019-3821930 or 012-2075951.
