OCCASION
Khairy: Opening ceremony will be a memorable event
KUALA LUMPUR
THE 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games opening ceremony today will be an inspiring and memorable occasion in celebrating the unity of the Southeast Asian region, promises Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
He said the parade of the 11 Sea Games country flags will kick off the ceremony at 8pm to be followed by the parades of contingents and athletes as well as the raising of the Sea Games Federation and the KL2017 flags.
“Those flags will be brought in by some of our past sporting legends. It’s a tremendous honour for them, many of them were not seen in public for many years,” he told a Press conference at the National Stadium KL Sports City yesterday.
He said the silat exponent Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari, track cyclist Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and diver Cheong Jun Hoong will each bring the Jalur Gemilang.
The flag raising ceremony will be followed by a welcoming address by The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar and Khairy who is also the KL2017 organising comittee chairman.
The official opening of the KL2017 will be declared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V, and followed by an oath-taking ceremony to be read by national high jumper Nauraj Singh Randhawa.
After the formal ceremonies, a 20-minute showcase will take place as the centerpiece of the whole event.
He said the showcase with the theme ‘Bangkit Bersama’ will highlight the journey and unity of Southeast Asia.
The people at the stadium and viewers at home would also enjoy the special ‘Best of Malaysia’ performance in conjunction with Malaysia’s
60th National Day celebration.
“We promise something punchy, using the high-end technology. It has never been done before, and I hope people will be entertained,” he said.
He said 6,000 people would be involved in the showcase consisting performers, volunteers, children and the armed forces.
Meanwhile, Khairy urged those attending the opening ceremony to arrive a minimum of two hours earlier to ease congestion at the surrounding areas, as the stadium gates would open at 4pm.
People are also encouraged to use public transport especially Light Rail Transit (LRT) since all roads surrounding the Kuala Lumpur Sports City will be closed.
He reminded the public to avoid bringing prohibited objects such as knives and scissors to avoid complications as there will be security checks at all entrances of the stadium. Bernama