Brigade Commander’s Open House
Commander 2nd Malaysian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier-General Datuk Mohd Nizam bin Hj Jaffar hosted his first raya open house after assuming command early this year.
The event was held at his official residence on Thompson Road on Sunday, July 16.
With the accompaniment of a live band, stalls offering raya delicacies, and the must-try Ipoh fried kway teow, enlivened the occasion.
“Over 2000 of my men are here today. This is my first raya open house since taking command in February. In October, we’ll be celebrating the brigade’s 70th anniversary,” Mohd Nizam told Ipoh Echo.
When asked what prompted the guests to come, he replied, “Hospitality and tactfulness. I want them to feel at home.”
The affable commander greeted everyone personally and distributed duit raya to the young ones.
Present were Mayor Dato’ Zamri bin Man and the Chief Police Officer Perak, Datuk Hasnan Hassan.
Funds to Restore Mosque
Built in 1898, the oldest mosque in Ipoh, Panglima Kinta Mosque, will undergo restoration works estimated to cost in excess of RM5 million.
Mosque committee chairman, Toh Muda Panglima Kinta Dato’ Ab Wahab Azizul Hassan, announced that the works involve the rehabilitation of the walls which are made of pounded clamshells and egg white.
“It was built at the cost of 15,000 Straits Dollars in 1898, when cement was very expensive. Thus, other materials were used as substitutes.
“We want to restore the walls using original techniques and materials,” he told reporters during the mosque’s raya open day on Sunday, July 16.
Ab Wahad added that the project could not be carried out immediately as funds were still insufficient.
“There is no timeframe. In the meantime, we’ll beautify the exterior of the mosque,” he said, adding that over 2000 tourists have visited the building since October last year. The 119-year-old mosque is a major tourist attraction in the state.
The guests had a fun day enjoying the plentiful raya spread. They were dressed in their raya best.
