A record crowd at Parliament

The two-day Parliament Open Day in Kuala Lumpur drew 13,368 visitors, well past the 10,000 organisers had hoped for.

Best turnout since 2023

Senate President Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah called it the strongest showing since the programme started in 2023.

This is their house

Awang Bemee framed the building as public property, not a restricted government site, and pointed to the run of programmes meant to make that real.

“This is their house, the house of the people's representatives.”

Closed on any normal day

Parliament Chief Administrator Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman said the point was to let people see the atmosphere and processes inside, an area off-limits the rest of the year.

Attendance up by half

The 13,368 count compares with roughly 8,600 in 2023. Ahmad Husaini read the jump as growing public interest in the institution.

“This increase in attendance shows that public awareness and interest in the institution of Parliament are growing.”

A teacher brings his kids

Ahmad Firdaus Abdullah Tahrin, 43, brought his children and friends so they could see the chamber instead of only reading about it.

“When we bring them here ourselves, they can see the actual atmosphere and better understand what they learn in textbooks.”

Textbooks only go so far

Standing in the building helps children grasp how laws and policies are argued over and passed, he said, and gets them ready to lead later.