Sports Carnival, Mahabbah Outreach Strengthen PERKIM-MAIWP Ties with Siamese Community in Kampung Behor Gelam

by: MOHD. SYAHRIL ROSDI AHMAD ZAHUDI

ARAU, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026 — The values of compassion, togetherness and concern for the community, regardless of background, were brought to life through the Sports Carnival and Mahabbah Outreach Programme with the Siamese Community of Kampung Behor Gelam, held in a warm and convivial atmosphere at Kampung Behor Gelam, Arau, Perlis, today.

The programme, jointly organised by the National Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (PERKIM) and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), in collaboration with PERKIM Perlis, brought villagers together in a relaxed, lively and family-oriented setting through a series of sports carnival activities in the morning, followed by a house-to-house welfare outreach session in the afternoon.

More than merely an occasion for recreation and the distribution of aid, the programme served as a platform for PERKIM and MAIWP to forge closer ties with the Siamese community in the area, while nurturing stronger relationships founded on mutual respect, understanding and concern for the welfare of the local community.

Programme coordinator Muhammad Jais Mariappan Abdullah said grassroots engagement through initiatives such as the programme was crucial to ensuring that welfare and outreach efforts remained closely connected to the community.

He said communities should be engaged continuously through friendly, open and less formal approaches so that relationships built could develop into strong and meaningful social networks.

He said the sports carnival was not merely intended as a recreational activity, but also served as a platform to bring people together in a relaxed setting while fostering positive interaction between the organisers and villagers.

“Programmes such as this give us the opportunity to meet the community in person, observe their circumstances first-hand and listen more closely to their voices and needs.

“At the same time, the outreach approach enables us to deliver assistance directly to residents, while demonstrating that welfare and compassion are a shared responsibility that should be nurtured regardless of the community’s background,” said Jais Mariappan.

Jais Mariappan said the continuity of such programmes was equally important, as good relations with the community should not end once assistance had been delivered.

Instead, he said, sustained engagement should be fostered through various community activities, dialogues, visits and programmes that could promote mutual understanding and appreciation.

The programme, which began at 9am, opened with a sports carnival featuring three main categories — children, women and men.

In the children’s category, participants took part in several entertaining events, including carrying ping-pong balls on spoons, musical chairs and paired leg-tie races.

The enthusiastic participation of the young contestants added vibrancy to the programme, while cheers and encouragement from family members and villagers filled the activity area with laughter and excitement.

The women’s category featured a variety of light-hearted yet challenging events, including threading a needle, musical chairs, the longest paper-tearing challenge, coconut bowling and bean-sorting.

The activities not only tested participants’ agility and coordination, but also encouraged interaction among those who attended with their families.

The men’s category was equally lively, with participants competing in musical chairs, coconut bowling and bean-sorting.

Although most of the events were conducted in a relaxed and jovial atmosphere, the active participation of villagers reflected the community’s openness and warm reception towards programmes jointly organised by PERKIM and MAIWP.

The sports carnival was also visited by PERKIM Deputy President YB Dato’ Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim, who took the opportunity to engage with residents and participants and observe the programme’s activities alongside the local community.

His presence provided an added boost to the organisers and participants, while underscoring PERKIM’s leadership commitment to ensuring that welfare and community-based initiatives remained firmly rooted at the grassroots level.

The programme was also supported by PERKIM Perlis Deputy Executive Director Abdulmubeen Yanya, who played an important role as a Thai-language interpreter, ensuring smooth communication between the organisers and members of the local community.

The ability to communicate in a language understood by the community was among the key elements in fostering closer and more meaningful relationships, particularly in programmes involving communities with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Also contributing to the success of the programme were secretariat members Hashimah Hashim, Azura Abdul Rahman, Fatin Akmal Aksah, Ain Naszurien Abdul Kamal and Nazri Osman, together with members of the PERKIM Perlis committee and a team of volunteers who worked hand in hand to ensure the smooth running of the programme.

Meanwhile, at 3.30pm, the programme continued with the Mahabbah Outreach house-to-house visits around Kampung Behor Gelam.

The delegation brought food baskets while visiting and checking on approximately 50 villagers, as part of efforts to deliver assistance directly to those in need.

Before setting out on the visits, Jais Mariappan led a prayer seeking ease and blessings throughout the journey and the outreach activities.

Although light rain began to fall, it did little to dampen the spirits of the organisers, volunteers and residents who came together to support the welfare mission.

Travelling by motorcycle, the delegation moved from one house to another along routes that were not always easy to navigate.

The convoy was guided by Kampung Development and Security Committee (JPKK) chairman Muhammad Dali Jusoh, together with local residents who helped ensure that the delegation’s journey was carried out safely and in an orderly manner.

Routes alongside paddy fields, drainage canals and challenging red-earth tracks were traversed to ensure that the food baskets reached the residents being visited.

The effort demonstrated the organisers’ determination to ensure that assistance was not merely gathered at a central location for recipients to collect, but delivered directly to their doorsteps.

The food baskets sponsored by MAIWP contained a range of essential daily necessities, including rice, flour, rice vermicelli, milk, coffee, tea, sugar, cooking oil and biscuits.

In addition to food supplies, the assistance also included personal hygiene products to help meet recipients’ basic daily needs.

During each visit, the delegation took time to check on the residents, engage in conversation and listen to their circumstances, making the outreach more than simply an exercise in distributing aid.

The approach provided the organisers with an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of the lives of the local community, while building more meaningful human connections through face-to-face engagement.

At the same time, the organisers invited villagers to attend the Mahabbah Harmony Dialogue Programme with the Siamese Community, scheduled to be held on Sunday at 3.30pm in front of the village multipurpose hall.

The dialogue programme is expected to serve as a continuation of efforts to engage the community by providing a more open platform for interaction and the sharing of views.

For the residents of Kampung Behor Gelam, the visit by the PERKIM and MAIWP delegation carried a special significance, as they not only received essential supplies but were also personally engaged and welcomed in an atmosphere characterised by warmth, friendship and a strong sense of community.

 

‘Ping-Pong Ball on a Spoon’ was the opening event of the children’s sports carnival at Kampung Behor Gelam.

 

‘Musical Chairs’ proved to be a favourite among the village children.

 

Several children were eliminated as participants scrambled to secure the remaining seats during the ‘Musical Chairs’ event.

 

‘Threading the Needle’ proved to be a challenging event for the mothers taking part in the sports carnival.

 

Village women face the challenge of threading a needle during the event at Kampung Behor Gelam.

 

Women from Kampung Behor Gelam enjoy a lively moment during the ‘Musical Chairs’ event.

 

The men were equally enthusiastic in taking part in the ‘Musical Chairs’ event.

 

Organisers observe participants as they compete in the ‘Longest Torn Paper’ challenge.

 

Members of the organising team measure the longest strip of paper torn by the participants.

 

‘Coconut Bowling’ was among the favourite events among the male participants.

 

The women were also eager to take part in the ‘Coconut Bowling’ event.

 

Organisers count the number of bottles successfully knocked down by participants during the ‘Coconut Bowling’ event.

 

‘Three-Legged Race’ was among the sports carnival events enjoyed by the children.

 

Male participants give their all as they sort beans during the ‘Bean-Sorting’ event.

 

The ‘Bean-Sorting’ event proved challenging for the women, who had to separate the beans using chopsticks.

 

In the evening, organisers, volunteers and villagers gathered and joined in the amin at the conclusion of a prayer led by Jais Mariappan before setting out to visit residents of Kampung Behor Gelam.

 

Organisers, volunteers and some villagers prepare to visit residents of Kampung Behor Gelam, carrying baskets of essential food supplies.

 

Villagers escort Jais Mariappan on motorcycles during the outreach visit.

 

Jais Mariappan presents a package of essential food supplies to a village resident.

 

Naszri presents a MAIWP-sponsored food package to a member of the local Siamese community.

 

Hashimah, accompanied by the outreach delegation, presents a package of essential food supplies to a village resident.

 

Jais Mariappan presents a MAIWP-sponsored food package to a resident of Kampung Behor Gelam.

 

Fatin Akmal presents a MAIWP-sponsored package of essential food supplies to a village resident.

 

Azura, together with PERKIM Perlis representatives, presents a sponsored package of essential food supplies to a village resident.

 

A village resident receives a MAIWP-sponsored food package from Azura and PERKIM Perlis representatives.

 

Azura, together with PERKIM Perlis representatives, visits a village resident while presenting a MAIWP-sponsored package of essential food supplies.