Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

(Merdeka Moments - Photos courtesy of Bernama's Photo Unit)

For the first time, the 52nd day National Day celebration was held at Parliament Square on Aug 31 with the participation of a limited number of people due to the influenza A (HIN1) or swine flu pandemic and the Ramadan month.

For the same reasons, the national level celebration was held on a moderate scale, mostly indoors, in the states.

Bernama marked the day with the raising of the Jalur Gemilang and the singing of Negaraku at Wisma Bernama last Friday. At the event, attended by General Manger Hasnul Hassan and Editor in Chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong, Bernama employees were in high spirits as they sang two other songs Jalur Gemilang and Satu Malaysia.

The celebration, led by maestro Faiz Sanusi from the Sales Department, ended with seven shouts of "Merdeka".

While the 52nd national level celebration has been scaled down, the Merdeka spirit is alive as reflected in the vibrant colours of Jalur Gemilang and the spirit of the people.

The theme of this year's celebration is '1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now.'

Model's Caning Deferred Due To Fasting Month

KUANTAN, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- The caning of model, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who was ordered to receive six lashes of the rottan and fined RM5,000 for drinking beer, has been deferred until after the fasting month.

Pahang Religious Affairs, Dakwah, Unity and NGOs Exco chairman Datuk Mohd Sahfri Abdul Aziz said the state Religious Department (JAIP) had received a directive from the Attorney General's office to defer the punishment until the fasting month was over.

"However, the sentence will remain the same," he said here today.

Kartika who was sentenced to six lashes of the rottan and fined RM5,000 for the offence was scheduled to be taken to the Kajang women's prison today to undergo her caning punishment.

According to reports, JAIP officers had gone to Kartika's house in Sungai Siput, Perak but left 30 minutes later after receiving the orders from their 'higher' authorities.

Kartika, 32, a mother of two, was arrested during a raid at the Legend Hotel lounge in Cherating at about 11.40pm on July 20, last year, for breaching Shariah law, which forbids Muslims from consuming alcohol.

On Aug 18, Syariah Court judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Yunus found Kartika guilty of the offence, and handed out the punishment, seen the first of its kind in the country.

-- BERNAMA