KUALA LUMPUR: Some 1,000 people comprising National Museum staff and guests attended the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house organised by the Museums Department here today.
The open house was held with more than 10 booths set up by various departments of the museum at the National Museum compound.
National Museums Department director (policy and development) Zainal Ariffin said this was their first Aidilfitri open house after almost two years without a celebration due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The main purpose of this event is to strengthen the bonds between National Museums Department employees; and, it is a show of appreciation to all our strategic partners as well as visitors.
"We also want to repopularise and bring the National Museum back into the public's eye and encourage people to visit it again," he said.
Zainal said he hoped the Covid-19 situation will improve even more so the department can organise more programmes to make the National Museum a popular tourist attraction and the main tourism product in the country.
"The Museums Department organises periodic exhibitions with specific themes to attract more visitors, such as our current exhibition which is a collaboration with the Health Ministry regarding the evolution of nurses' uniforms," he said, adding that their next plan is to hold a dragon exhibition at the National Museum.
Also present at the event were Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry deputy secretary-general (culture) Datuk Saraya Arbi and Museums Department director-general Datuk Kamarul Baharin A. Kasim.
Saraya also presented prizes to winners for the most popular booth, the most creative booth and the best Aidilfitri outfit.