On September 21, peace is celebrated worldwide. In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly had declared the day as one devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, hence it is called “International Day of Peace”, or simply, “World Peace Day”. In Ipoh, Words of Peace Global (WOPG) Malaysia, a charitable foundation, brought the community together at the Polo Ground to celebrate the occasion.
The morning started off with the singing of Negaraku, followed by choral presentation by 6-year-olds from Mariaville Good Shepherd Kindergarten. The hour-long brass band performance by the brass band of SMJK Sam Tet kept the crowd entertained with a medley of popular songs, including soundtracks from the Disney production, ‘Frozen’.
Visitors took time to express their condolences to victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which was shot down while flying over Ukraine. The banner will be handed over to Bernama TV. Some shared their message of peace by writing down the meaning of peace onto a globe.
Words of Peace Global Malaysia marked World Peace Day simultaneously at multiple cities in the country, including in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, with a host of activities.
Later in the day, the Universal Peace Federation Perak organised a similar gathering of peace lovers at Kinta Riverfront Hotel. Acknowledging that religion is of paramount importance in peace-making, multi-religious prayers were conducted by leaders of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism.
Guest-of-honour, Dato’ S. Veerasingam, read out a speech on behalf of the Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Zambry Abd Kadir. “Peace is a prerequisite to social and economic development. Peace is not simply the absence of war, it is about fostering acceptance and compassion in our communities, promoting social integration and establishing new avenues of cooperation so that our children can grow up in a society that appreciates cultural diversity.”
At the event, Zambry was recognised by the Universal Peace Federation as an Ambassador for Peace. This acknowledgement is for individuals “whose lives exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and who dedicate themselves to practices which promote universal moral values”.
Dato’ Dr Majumder Madhuri donated RM1,000 to the Universal Peace Federation Perak.
Emily
