KUALA LUMPUR - Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh proposed that the Explorasi Merdeka Rapid KL (EMRKL) organised by Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) be continued as part of the programmes for National Day celebration.
Yeoh said the EMRKL 2.0 programme organised today in conjunction with the National Day and school holidays can not only strengthen family ties but also bring people together.
"Apart from watching the parade on television, the community can strengthen team spirit among family members and friends by participating in programmes like this," she told reporters after the flagging-off of the EMRKL participants at the LRT Bukit Jalil station here.
Meanwhile, Prasarana chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah said the programme, organised for the second time, attracted nearly 800 participants involving 200 groups.
"The number of participants this time is four times more than the inaugural event held last year, with only 200 participants involving 50 groups, " he told reporters after flagging off the participants.
He said that the cultural-themed programme, which is aimed at promoting unity, required the participants to visit seven checkpoints and selected locations on the MRT, LRT, monorail and Rapid KL bus lines in Kuala Lumpur and then return to the Bukit Jalil LRT station.
Meanwhile, Prasarana, in a statement, said that the exploration-based programme aims to celebrate cultural diversity in Malaysia in line with the theme of the 2023 National Day celebrations, which is Malaysia MADANI: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan (Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope).
It said participants have to perform various interesting activities and tasks on the theme of independence and culture at specific locations and checkpoints along the rapid transit and bus lines around the city.
The mission assigned to the participants requires a high level of thinking and creativity in order for them to complete the mission to the finish line, it said, adding that the winner of EMRKL 2.0 will receive RM4,000, while the runner-up RM2,500 and the third-place winner will take home RM1,500. - BERNAMA