A Merdeka memory, made for the front page

At Dataran Merdeka, the historic square in Kuala Lumpur, visitors were immersed in the festivities ahead of National Day. Among them was Arul Selvan Jeyaraj, a 48-year-old from Ipoh, who paused to capture his own face on the front page of the New Straits Times. He expressed a sense of pride in seeing himself on a paper he still read in print. Arul hoped the novelty would encourage younger Malaysians to read newspapers, as many had shifted to social media for news.

For Sanjeevan Sivaraj, a 36-year-old from Penang, the photobooth experience transformed a family holiday into an unexpected Merdeka memory. Though he mostly read news online, holding a physical newspaper with his family's photograph on the front page reminded him of the joy of reading print. The experience sparked a reminder for him and his children to appreciate the value of a physical newspaper.

Nurshazwana Izzlyen Kamaruzaman, a 25-year-old from Selayang, noted that the campaign offered a unique experience for a generation more accustomed to screens. She observed that children had never held a newspaper before, and the opportunity to interact with a real newspaper sparked their curiosity. She emphasized the campaign's significance in celebrating Malaysian people from diverse backgrounds, highlighting its role in fostering unity and pride among citizens.