NILAI: Visitors to the Negeri Sembilan edition of the MADANI Rakyat Programme 2025 experienced a unique virtual journey into space through Virtual Reality technology at the Planet VR booth.
Most visitors, especially children, described the simulation as an opportunity to feel as if they were beyond Earth with almost real visuals and special effects.
Seven year old Mohd Haziq Mohd Sukri from Port Dickson expressed excitement about trying the new experience of virtual space travel for the first time.
“It’s amazing. I’ve only seen space in books or on TV, but here, it feels real, like I’m right in front of the planets,” he told Bernama.
Nine year old Ahmad Tsaqif Ahmad Faiz said the VR experience sparked his curiosity about stars and planets, motivating him to learn more in school.
Civil servant Jamalia Mat Radin praised the initiative for giving children early exposure to astronomy in an enjoyable and engaging way.
“It’s not only fun but also valuable, as it encourages children, and society in general, to develop an interest in science and technology,” she said.
National Planetarium assistant science officer Norakma Mohamed said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s initiative provided public space exploration through VR applications.
“Astronomy and space science can be quite complex, so we use VR to bring the experience directly to visitors,” she explained.
She added that the initiative aimed to ignite young people’s interest in astronomy while making science more accessible and interactive.
The Negeri Sembilan PMR programme features various activities bringing people closer to government agencies through digital empowerment themes. – Bernama