NAJIB SWARMED BY PEOPLE AT WALKABOUT

GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), April 2 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is on a day-long visit to northern state of Penang Saturday, went on a walkabout in the city centre, meeting and chatting with the people, particularly traders.

Accompanied by two ministers in the Prime Minister's Department, Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the prime minister arrived at in Bukit Gelugor at9.40am and engaged in conversation with the people as he did his walkabout.

A slight drizzle did not stop the people, mainly residents of Taman Tun Sardon residential area, from eagerly greeting Najib and his delegation which comprised several other Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders as well.

At the wet market, traders rushed forward to shake Najib's hand and offer their salutations.

The prime minister took the opportunity of the visit to have breakfast at a stall there, helping himself to the traditional "serabai" (a kind of pancake)and the "kaya" (sweet paste) accompaniment.

Stallholder Jamaliah Hassan, 53, was thrilled that the prime minister and his delegation stopped by at her outlet.

"It was totally unexpected. I am proud to have served breakfast to our prime minister," said Jamaliah, who has been operating the stall with her elder sister for the past 19 years.

She said Najib had asked her the recipe for making "serabai" because he had never eaten it.

"The prime minister said it was the first time he was eating serabai and that it was delicious and went very well with the kaya," she said.

After breakfast, Najib and his delegation moved on to the Jelutong market to meet and chat with the traders there before proceeding to the Padang Tembak flats and the Kampung Melayu flats in Air Itam.

At the Kampung Melayu flats, Najib handed over a RM500 (US$165.125) donation to two poor, elderly women, one of them Maimoon Syarifah Syed Mohd, 55, and the other, Shin Moy Mooi, 78.

Maimoon Syarifah, who has been living at the flats for 34 years, said she depended on the RM300 monthly aid from the Social Welfare Department to meet her living expenses.

"I have been suffering from hypertension and diabetes for the past eight years, which has forced me to be bedridden," said the mother of six children, two of whom have married and live elsewhere.

Maimoon Syarifah said she was moved by the visit of the prime minister to her home and was thankful for the gift.

"I proudly welcome the prime minister because I have not had leaders calling at my home to extend donations to my family," she said.

Shin lives alone on a fifth-floor unit.