TAWAU, Aug 23- Last year Sabturani Angsa received a great deal of praise from the society and Face book users for his dedication in painting about 1,000 1Malaysia symbols on trees and boulders along Jalan Apas and several strategic locations in the Tawau Municipal Council.
Among the messages he wrote using the 1Malaysia symbol, a unity concept initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, were “People First, Performance Now” and “It’s better to regret now then later”.
His work reinforced the 1Malaysia concept with road users who traveled the route daily.
This year Sabturani, 65, a retired senior officer from Malaysia Airlines (MAS) who hails from Kampung Batu Payung, has once again initiated his creativity with a different message, namely to boost the 56th Independence Day celebration on August 31.
Sabturani chose a large boulder by the side of the road at 6th Mile, Jalan Apas, to convey what he felt about this year’s Merdeka celebration and hoped to instill the same with the younger generations.
He wrote “56th Merdeka, “My Sovereign Malaysia: My Native Land” in white paint, with the black of the stone as a backdrop.
“Last year, I drew the 1Malaysia symbol all over the place to express my appreciation to Prime Minister Najib for initiating the 1Malaysia concept which resonates with my desire for continuous unity among Malaysians.
“We are now on the eve of the 56th Independence Day and Malaysia Day. I want to instill a sense of love for our country, especially with young people who may have become complacent,” he told Bernama.
Sabturani, who was met as he was painting, said he did not expect any publicity and was doing it on a voluntary basis at his own expense.
“When my message is read by road users of all ages, races, religions and ethnicity, that’s my satisfaction,” he said.
He said as long as he had inspiration on the importance of unity and independence, he would share it with the society through his paintings on boulders and trees.
– BERNAMA
