NUMEROUS celebrities took to the stage for poetry-reading and song performances with messages of peace at Istana Budaya during the 10-hour-long Doa Untukmu Rohingya event in Kuala Lumpur on New Year’s day.
The artistes included Erra Fazira, Amy Search, Awi Rafael, Nabil Ahmad, Tasha Shilla, Janna Nick and Izreen Azminda. Although some artistes like Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk Hattan and Neelofa could not attend, they pre-recorded their poem recital.
The event was organised by the Entertainment Journalists’ Association of Malaysia (WHAM) to raise awareness and support for humanitarian causes and peace around the world, with a focus on the plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar.
The association received cooperation from various government agencies such as Istana Budaya (which provided the venue), associations from the entertainment industry, as well as companies such as Dua Laris Event and Platinum Apple Communication.
Support from the public too was encouraging. “Prior to the event, we called on Malaysians to send us poems with peace messages. Via WHAM’s Facebook page, we received about 700 and the best 100 were chosen and read out by the celebrities at the event,” says WHAM president Tengku Khalidah Tengku Bidin.
All the poems will later be compiled and published as a book.
A group of painters were also invited to
put up an art exhibition, from which a portion of the sale is channelled to Utusan’s Fund for the Rohingya and Media Prima’s Fund for
the Rohingya.
Tengku Khalidah says some 10,000 people attended Doa Untukmu Rohingya, making it the biggest event WHAM had ever organised.