Senior citizens join National Day parade organised by mosque

KUALA LUMPUR - Age is just a number and for some elderly people and children, patriotism takes precedence over physical ability.

Eighty-five-year-old Mohd Nor Daud is one of the elderly people who shared his joy after completing the one-kilometre-walk in the 2023 National Day parade in a celebration organised by Masjid Jamek Kampung Nakhoda, in Batu Caves, here.

"Alhamdulillah, I enjoy participating in this kind of activity. Even though the walk is quite a distance, I enjoyed it and felt highly spirited to reflect my love for the country," he told Bernama here, today.

The retired teacher participated in the parade as a member of the contingent from the Masjid Jamek Kampung Nakhoda Senior Citizens’ Association (Pewares).

"I trained for a month by doing light exercises to stay healthy to prepare for the event. I also lead a healthy lifestyle to remain fit, like doing light exercise and tending to my small farm daily.

"I don't push myself, instead just being able to sweat is good enough,” he said.

Another member of the contingent, Datuk Khalid Ibrahim, 74, expressed his admiration for the efforts made by the mosque in organising various programmes to celebrate the country's Independence Day.

"We rarely hear of mosques organising activities like this. So, as a resident here, I am very proud of the spirit shown by the mosque committee and I hope it will be emulated by other mosques," he added.

Meanwhile, seven-year-old Fatimatul Zahrah Aisyah Abdul Qahhar and younger brother Mohd Hafiy Rayyan Sharifuddin, five, were very excited and had been looking forward to today’s event.

"We enjoyed it. Mummy woke us up as early as six am to get us ready for the event. We dressed up to celebrate National Day," said the girl.

The parade, which started at 7.30am, involved the participation of more than 300 residents, including those in a convoy of vehicles, in the Sungai Tua state constituency.

The participants from various age groups, including children, walked the one-kilometre distance around the mosque while waving the Jalur Gemilang.

Nazir of Masjid Jamek Kampung Nakhoda, Mohd Azmi Md Eusoff, 58, said the National Day celebration was the first to be organised by the mosque.

He said it was also aimed at instilling the patriotic spirit among the residents, especially the youth, as well as to strengthen the bond among residents in the area, he added.

"Our aim is to attract young people to participate in activities organised by the mosque. Alhamdulillah, the response was encouraging,” he added. - BERNAMA