By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 16: Six teenagers, along with thousands of others, found joy and a reunion at the ‘Juh Berambeh Sungkei 2025’—a Ramadan event at Padang Merdeka here, marking a special moment after their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
One of the teenagers, Annie, shared that the event helped bring them closer together, as they had not seen each other since their SPM exams.
The former SMK St Mary student added that this was the first time the six of them had joined the breaking fast with thousands of people from all walks of life at the Ramadan event.
Being a non-Muslim, she elaborated that the event was unique because it would further strengthen her bond with her friends.
“We’re all excited and have been here for an hour, eagerly waiting for the moment to break fast together. It will strengthen our friendship, as we’ve known each other since primary school.
“This isn’t the only time we’ve broken fast together, but today feels special with the thousands of others. It’s remarkable to see so many people joining the event.
“Hopefully, we can all break fast together again next year,” she told DayakDaily at the event on March 16.
Together with her five friends Lia, Nellie, Nadiah, Dayyan, and Mai, they all agreed that Sarawak is unique and different and that studying together in a mission school has brought them closer. They expressed hope that they would always be there for one another.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who officiated the event, said that the gathering was not only a way to commemorate the holy month of Ramadan but also served as a platform to foster unity among people of different races and religions.
He elaborated that apart from the Muslim community breaking their fast, the event also saw participation from individuals of other faiths.
“This is the uniqueness of Sarawak—we celebrate together, regardless of our backgrounds. It is one of the reasons why we maintain such strong bonds with each other,” he said.
Abdul Karim expressed hope that such programmes would continue to strengthen social harmony and provide opportunities for different communities to understand and appreciate each other’s cultures and traditions.
Later, he also gave away donations to the underprivileged in the spirit of charity and mutual care during Ramadan.
Kuching City North Commission Mayor Datu Hilmy Othman was also present. — DayakDaily
