BAKAT Prepares 15,000 Raya Goodie Bags For Armed Forces Personnel

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Family Welfare Association (BAKAT) will continue with its tradition of giving Hari Raya goodies to MAF members who are on duty during Aidilfitri, with 15,000 goodie bags prepared this year.

BAKAT Supreme Council chairman Datin Risia Sheikh Ali Omar Bajarai said members of the association and the MAF Personnel Services Division began gathering items for the goodie bags in September last year, adding that the packing process has been ongoing since early this year.

She said it is a tradition carried out annually for over 30 years.

“Besides raya cookies, there are also items contributed by private companies as a token of appreciation for the sacrifices made by the MAF personnel in serving the nation,” she told reporters at the event to pack the Hari Raya goodies at Rumah BAKAT at the Ministry of Defence, here today.

Also present was the deputy assistant of the MAF chief of staff, Personnel Services Division Brig Gen Hamdan Ahmad.

Risia, who is the wife of MAF chief General Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar, said the official handover ceremony for the Hari Raya goodies is scheduled for March 20 and will be officiated by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

She added that the goodie bags include items from companies and organisations such as the Armed Forces Fund Board, the Malaysian Armed Forces Cooperative and Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd.

-- BERNAMA