PUTRAJAYA: “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” These chants can be heard from special needs students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Datuk Undang Abdul Manap, Negeri Sembilan each time the National Month of August comes around.
These students understand that the chants have a big meaning for the country in conjunction with National Day. This time around, nine of the school’s students have baked Jalur Gemilang-themed ‘Merdeka’ cakes to express their spirit of patriotism for the country.
The school’s Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi (PPKI) coordinator Dora Drajeena Mohammad Nawi Cheng said these special needs students, aged 15 to 19, were excited when they were given the task to enliven this year’s National Day celebrations by baking the cakes.
“They usually bake bread, but the challenge this time was to bake cakes decorated with the colours of the Jalur Gemilang on the top. Students prepared the icing in the flag’s colours of red, blue, yellow and white, and were supervised by their teachers,“ she told Bernama.
She said the process of making the six ‘Merdeka’ cakes took over an hour.
“This is the school’s effort to teach these special needs students to love the country,“ she said, adding that the school has 18 students with special needs, among them those with learning disabilities.
“Whenever August comes around, the students get excited because they understand the meaning of ‘Merdeka’,“ she said.
Dora Drajeena said the school’s special needs students have the potential to excel in breadmaking she hoped they will use the knowledge and skills learned to pursue the field, be it bread, cakes or pastries.
This year’s National Day celebrations will take place in Putrajaya on Aug 31 with the theme “MADANI Malaysia: Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope”. -Bernama
