By P. Chandra Sagaran
Ipoh City Mayor Zamakhshari Hanipah attended an event preview and presentation of participation certificates to four primary school pupils who are representing Ipoh City at the BRIDGE Summer Camp Program 2025 in Fukuoka, Japan from July 12 to 21.
The event which took place on July 9 was also attended by Ipoh City Council (MBI) Secretary Ahmad Munir Ishak, Principal Assistant Director (Student Affairs) of the State Education Department Wan Mohd Hazihan Wan Husain who represented the director, Student Affairs Assistant Director who is also the chaperone and Japanese language teacher of Politeknik Ungku Omar, Anita Hanim Taharim and Council’s heads of departments.
The junior ambassadors picked are Muhamad Azim Zuhri Syith (SK St. Michael), T. Arjun Siddharth (SJKT Gunung Rapat), Arissa Safiya Mohd Syazlan (SK Tambun) and Kimberly Ng (SJKC Ave Maria Convent).
They will be accompanied by Wan Mohd Hazihan as well as Dee Dee Xin Tong, a law student from Universiti Malaya who was the former BRIDGE junior ambassador in 2015 who had returned to join the program as a Peace Ambassador.
This program is an international education platform organised by Asian-Pacific Children’s Convention (APCC) to be attended by students from 61 countries and regions.
Since 1989, the City of Fukuoka had been the main host for the program aimed at instilling the spirit of “Omoiyari” which values respect and preparedness to receive the different cultures for a global peace and understanding .
BRIDGE Club formed in 1998 is a network of alumni consisting of former APCC participants which continue to be active to promote OMOIYARI values and friendship across countries.
Since 2001, MBI with the cooperation of the State Education Department has sent more than 200 primary school pupils to the program as a commitment towards shaping a global competitive and harmonious young generation.