On the occasion of the birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Embassy of Malaysia with the cooperation of Malaysian students organized a reception on Sunday, 22 June 2008 in Fukui, a city which faces the Sea of Japan. This was the first time a celebration such as this was held outside of the capital, Tokyo, in line with the Malaysian Government?s desire to reach out to Malaysians living abroad and to give the opportunity to those outside of Tokyo to celebrate the occasion.
About 100 Malaysians, mostly undergraduate students who are pursuing their studies in Fukui and neighbouring prefectures, Gifu, Ishikawa and Toyama attended the reception. To instill the spirit of gotong-royong as well as the feeling of 'ownership' of the event, the students were roped in to assist in arranging for the reception including in the preparation of cuisine.
The event commenced with a recital of doa and the singing of the national anthem,"Negara Ku", patriotic songs "Kerana Mu Malaysia" and "Jalur Gemilang" followed by address by H.E. Ambassador Dato? Mohd. Radzi Abdul Rahman, the Ambassador of Malaysia to Japan. In his speech, the Ambassador reminded fellow Malaysians on the need to instill loyalty towards the King and Nation. Malaysia?s development has often times been taken as an example by other countries as well as the United Nations, a recognition that all Malaysians should be proud of. He also reminded fellow Malaysians to think of ways in which they could contribute towards Malaysia's continued nation-building.
Apart from the objective of the event to celebrate SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday, the event was also able to successfully promote unity, camaraderie and friendship among Malaysians in Japan, especially in Fukui.
