KUALA LUMPUR: This Merdeka and Malaysia Day, EcoWorld and The Star invite Malaysians to celebrate the spirit of unity and 58 years of independence with the #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign.

This collaboration between Malaysia’s fastest rising property developer ‘ Eco World Development Group Berhad and the nation’s leading English language newspaper will see #AnakAnakMalaysia wristbands being distributed nationwide together with copies of The Star. Readers are encouraged to creatively express their patriotism by taking a photo with the band and share what it means to be Malaysian.

At the launch event today, Chairman of Eco World Development Group Berhad Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin said the Group wanted to celebrate 58 years of Merdeka in a special way. “We wanted to remember and honour the sacrifices of our forefathers and celebrate the spirit of unity that they have worked so hard to establish.”

Liew added that embracing diversity in a multicultural society was key to a successful nation. “The cultural diversity that we enjoy in Malaysia is something unique to us and one that we should be very proud of. The band is a reminder to all of us that we are Malaysians first and we should be proud to be one!

“We could not have found a better partner than The Star to kick start this campaign,” he said.

Chairman of Star Media Group Berhad Dato’ Fu Ah Kiow said in his speech today that ensuring national unity has always been a commitment that is close to the Group’s heart.

“Acknowledging our strength in reaching out to the masses, we at The Star recognise that we have a key role to play. For the past year, we have stood strong in our stance that moderation is an ideal that belongs to all who live in Malaysia.”

“Further strengthening our message, today we are proud to join hands with EcoWorld in being two locally born and bredÃ� Malaysian companies to introduce this simple yet impactful campaign to uphold the spirit of independence and unity,” he said.

Held at EcoWorld International Centre in Mid Valley City, the launch was attended by influential and prolific Malaysian icons including Datuk Jimmy Choo, Harith Iskander, Low Wee Wern, Dato’ Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin, Reshmonu, Mohd Azlan Iskandar and a host of other personalities in support of this uplifting campaign.

Malaysians are encouraged to hash tag #AnakAnakMalaysia with their photos which will be housed as a collage in a dedicated webpage (anakanakmalaysia.com). Facebook users can also spread the spirit of patriotism via social media by inserting a digital band to their Facebook photo as a symbol of pride to be an “Anak-anak Malaysia”.

The #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign runs from 18 August to 16 September. To get hold of a wristband and be part of the campaign, drop by any EcoWorld show gallery or pick up a copy of The Star newspaper on selected days. Log on to anakanakmalaysia.com for a listing of wristband collection points. Radio cruisers from RedFM, SuriaFM and 988FM will also be distributing wristbands and spreading the Merdeka cheer during their stops.