Big Crowd Greets Malaysian Prime Minister at Market

MELAKA (Malaysia), June 23 (Bernama) -- An enthusiastic crowd gathered to greet Prime Minister Najib Razak when visited the main market at Melaka Central in Peringgit here on Saturday. The people converged at the market to catch a glimpse of the prime minister, who was accompanied by Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam and state leaders, when he arrived at about 9.20am. Najib entered the wet market and shook hands with traders selling fish, meat, vegetables and other perishable goods. He later made his way to the second floor of the market, which housed food and drink stalls, where had a breakfast lucky traders and patrons for 15 minutes. A veteran Umno Women's member, Bayah Sidek, 72, from Pantai Kundur, said she was lucky to be chosen to have breakfast with the prime minister. "I am very excited. I will cherish this fond memory," she said. A trader from Bukit Panjang, Singapore, Abdul Rahim Ahmad, 54, was overjoyed as he was also given the opportunity to have breakfast with the prime minister. Abdul Rahim, who worked as a clerk in Singapore and travelled to Melaka on weekends to sell clothing at the market, said he came as early at 6am to his stall to enable him to greet the prime minister. Najib and his entourage later took a bus ride to Hang Tuah Street to open the Melaka City Transformation Centre and the "Promises Fulfilled" tour. --BERNAMA