On 22 September 2018, the Embassy of Malaysia in Paris successfully hosted a celebration in conjunction with the nation’s Malaysia Day. The get-together held at the Residence was well attended with a total number of about 200 guests comprising of Malaysians residing in France, their spouses and friends. Members of the Malaysian Association in France (MAF) and the Malaysian Students Association in France (MASAF) came in full force for the joyous occasion.
The function begin with a speech by H.E Dato’ Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, Ambassador-Designate of Malaysia to France. In his remarks, the Ambassador-Designate highlighted that the new Malaysia or ‘Malaysia Baharu’ “cannot be built solely by politicians and civil servants but by the labour of each of its citizens”. He also quoted Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman’s remarks that Malaysia was meant to be the beacon of harmony that accepts differences. The speech was then followed by a flag raising ceremony with Malaysians proudly standing tall belting out Negaraku.
The event continued with a durian cake cutting ceremony, and a donation of 2,000 Euros to Tabung Harapan by the Malaysian Association in France (MAF). During the get-together, the audience was marvelled by a silat performance by Culture Silat, a Paris-based silat group led by the French. Delicious Malaysian dishes such as nasi lemak, bihun sup, karipap and kuih seri muka were made available to everyone who came. It came to no surprise when guests joined the que twice to savour the nasi lemak. For many Malaysians, nasi lemak represents the taste of home; and in a chilly autumn morning it reminds one of the warmth of home in Malaysia.
