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National Day Parade Kicks Off
August 31st, 2017 | 10:12 AM | 1034 views
KUALA LUMPUR
The National Day parade has kicked off and a long list of festivities is in store to commemorate Malaysia's 60th year of independence.
The celebration began at 8.09am Thursday, immediately after the arrival of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V.
Tens of thousands have since gathered at Dataran Merdeka, with many arriving as early as 6am to grab the perfect spot to catch the annual parade.
The sea of Malaysians sang the Negaraku with much gusto during the raising of the national flag.
There was also a flypast of five helicopters by the Malaysian Armed Forces, which bore the Jalur Gemilang and the flags of the Armed Forces, Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
image: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/08/31/merdeka-day-parade-2017/~/media/2465b63f77ae40618f7ecf52a8f38f0e.ashx?h=355&w=620
Sultan Muhammad V then inspected a guard-of-honour of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, dressed in a beige shirt and matching trousers of the same colour, arrived in a vintage car with his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Najib would reenact the scene from exactly 60 years ago when Abdul Rahman proclaimed independence by chanting Merdeka seven times.
More than 17,000 people, ranging from school students to government and private sector personnel, are involved in the parade, which are divided into eight segments.
Special performances planned for the day include a flashback during pre-Independence, the British rule, Japan rule, the communist and its violence and the atmosphere on the eve of Merdeka and the proclamation of independence back in 1957.
Among dignitaries present are Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, other Cabinet ministers, foreign dignitaries and the heads of respective government departments and agencies.
Source:
courtesy of THE STAR
by BY MARTIN CARVALHO, ROYCE TAN, andGAN PEI LING
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