# Malaysia's Parliament threw open its doors, and 13,368 walked in

> A two-day open house at Malaysia's Parliament beat its target by a third and set a record for the programme.
- Title: Malaysia's Parliament threw open its doors, and 13,368 walked…
- Summary: A two-day open house at Malaysia's Parliament beat its target by a third and set a record for the programme. Letting people walk into the building they only…
- Keywords: malaysia, parliament, civic engagement, democracy, kuala lumpur, news, world, Malaysia's, threw, open, doors, 368
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/13/parliament-open-day-draws-record-13368-visitors/235075
- Published: 2026-09-13T19:11:32+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: malaysia, parliament, civic engagement, democracy, kuala lumpur, news, world
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Letting people walk into the building they only read about is the cheapest civics lesson a democracy can run.