Tuition teacher brings students to National Day parade to instil love for country
KUANTAN: A highly-spirited Chinese youth who cheered and applauded loudly while waving the Jalur Gemilang at contingents during the state-level National Day parade here today caught the attention of the crowd at the venue.
Despite the stinking hot weather and with blouse soaked in sweat, he was not perturbed by those watching him and continued to stand on a chair in between the crowd to cheer at the contingents in the parade.
When approached by Bernama, he introduced himself as Wee Kwong Yaw, 36, a tuition teacher, and along with him were his eight students.
"I never miss attending the National Day celebration and now that I am a tuition teacher, I also ' drag' along my eight students to instil the patriotic spirit and love for the country.
"The spirit of patriotism is becoming fragile among the young generation, hence, the need to expose them to this kind of events to sow that feeling in them," he told Bernama.
One of the students, Tan Sze Ying, who is in Form Five at Sekolah Menengah Alor Akar, said she was excited when offered by her tuition teacher to watch the National Day parade at Jalan Magkota here.
"I could hardly sleep last night. I was so excited because it's my first time attending the National Day celebration and watching the parade. Normally, I only watch the parade on television or read about it in the newspaper.
"I told my parents about coming here (celebration) today and they encouraged me to come and watching the parade made me feel proud to be a Malaysian," she said.
Among the crowd were siblings, three-year-old Mohd Adam Hisham and younger brother, Muhammad Umar Hisham, both dressed in a costume sewn using the Jalur Gemilang.
Their mother, Suhaila Mohd Sood, 29, said she sewed the dresses herself.
"When I was in school, I often participated in the National Day parade and it made me feel proud to be in the celebration.
"Now that I am married, I want my children to also feel proud to be Malaysians," she said. — Bernama