MARA Plans Major Carnival To Mark 60th Anniversary

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 (Bernama) -- Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will organise a large-scale carnival from May 1 to 5 in conjunction with its 60th anniversary this year.

MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the highlight of the carnival, to be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL), will be the official launch of the anniversary celebration by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on May 3.

He said the event, expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors, will bring together all institutions and agencies under the MARA umbrella, spanning services, education and entrepreneurship.

“At the carnival, SPM leavers can obtain information on furthering their studies at MARA educational institutions.

It will also provide opportunities for us to directly recruit those with skills and interest at various levels into MARA’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes,” he told a press conference after launching the 2026 MARA Chairman’s Cup Public Speaking Competition at Medan MARA here today.

In addition to public higher education institutions and MARA’s own educational facilities, the carnival will also feature private higher education institutions offering various programmes to students, Asyraf Wajdi said. 

“We are also bringing in an entrepreneurship carnival to showcase a wide range of products developed by MARA, as well as the services it provides to the public.

“It will also provide an opportunity for MARA borrowers and debtors, whether in business, education or commercial premises, who may be facing financial difficulties to come forward and discuss possible restructuring or rescheduling arrangements,” he said.

Asyraf Wajdi said the carnival, which will run from 9 am to 10 pm daily, will feature more than 100 programmes, including food booths and the participation of social media influencers from across the country.

MARA, an agency under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, was established on March 1, 1966 as a statutory body under an Act of Parliament following a resolution of the first Bumiputera Economic Congress in 1965.

-- BERNAMA