NIGERIA: Abuja: Malaysia Day (16 September 2016) - (PART 1)

Late August, I received an email from the High Comm's office in Abuja inviting Malaysians in Nigeria to celebrate Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) with them. There will be the flag raising ceremony and singing of the national anthem, Negaraku. A short speech from the Prime Minister would be read out by the High Commissioner himself and like truly Malaysian we are, there's the makan-makan (eating, feast). 

It was the 59th Merdeka celebration and we in Lagos, 8++km away celebrated by organising a small makan-makan for Saifuddeen. He and his family left this shore a few days after Merdeka day.

Two weeks after that, we have the Malaysia Day. It was to commemorate the formation of Malaysia on September 16th, 1963. Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore came together and formed Malaysia. Although Singapore left in 1965, the name remained and so does the date till today. 

Kak Puspa and I booked a ticket to Abuja, but as thing are in Nigeria nothing is predictable. The airline was grounded and then resumed a day before our flight. Early in the morning, I received info that the 11am flight became 3pm and that was only tentative timing (from the SMS message)... Kak Puspa and I might never get to Abuja in time...or we'll never get there at all. Madam sprang to action and the guys at office did an amazing job to get us on an earlier flight. TQ Donatus!

The Abuja City Gate

In Abuja's Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Maliki Zaharan was already there to drive us to the High Commission in Maitama. I first met Zaharan last year during Madam's birthday (click here) in Kaduna. He arranged the printing of books for the orphans and brought food for the celebration. It was great to meet him again. 

road in Abuja or in one of the districts

Previously based in Kaduna, now with his new role Abuja and in a different department too. One habit that we both have is to take our pictures together...people said we're twins, but from different family. Before we he left the High Comm compound, we exchanged our caps. I gave him my songkok for his Maiduguri cap. 

Before the swapping ceremony

The function starts at 3pm and we walked to the nearest masjeed for Friday solah. In Lagos, the sermon are bilingual. You first listen to the Arabic version and the English after a short pause. But it was my first time listening to an all Hausa sermon from beginning to end. It's one of the 3 main language in Nigeria. Widely spoken in the Northern part of the country. In fact, it also spoken Niger (country, not state), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad all the way to Sudan and Eritrea. Talk about Eritrea, I think it has one of the most romantic name for its capital, Asmara. In my language, it means Love. Nice.....

Back at the HiComm, we were ready to receive guests. I volunteered to snap photos for the event and the last thing I should do was to screw up. Ouchhhh!

The Malaysia High Commission in Federal Republic of Nigeria