Perak: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, today graced a programme aimed at instilling the spirit of loyalty to the Ruler and the country, in conjunction with the Perak-level 2026 Merdeka Month at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here tonight.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the event was also attended by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, along with Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh. Perak Education Department director Zulkafli Mohamed Mokhtar, in his royal address, highlighted that this year's programme recorded an encouraging turnout, with 214,095 entries involving 83.6 percent of primary and secondary school students in Perak.
Zulkafli stated that the programme has not only received an overwhelming response but has also grown as an essential platform for discovering talent, building self-confidence, and developing students' potential in various fields. He noted the 15 percent increase in participation compared to the previous year as evidence of the programme's growing popularity and significance.
He emphasized that the initiative aligns with the aspiration of nurturing a generation that excels academically, is morally upright, thinks critically, is patriotic, appreciates the country's history and heritage, and is capable of becoming credible leaders in the future. This is in line with the Malaysia Education Plan 2026-2035.
During the event, Sultan Nazrin presented the special award for Best Achievement by District Education Office to the Kinta Utara District Education Office, which received RM20,000 in cash. His Royal Highness also awarded the prize for the champion of the upper secondary Malay Language Public Speaking Competition to Ifwat Arrafi Mohd Amin of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tun Abd Razak, Bagan Datuk, while E Johnnes Abysia from SMK Sungai Pari, Kinta Utara, won the English public speaking competition.
Sultan Nazrin further presented prizes for choral speaking, choral recitation, choir, and caricature drawing competitions for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary school categories. Meanwhile, Tuanku Zara awarded prizes for essay writing, poetry composition, and poster drawing competitions for the same categories. Their Royal Highnesses later toured the drawing and caricature exhibition before departing from the event.