National Parade 2018 in Putrajaya a huge success
PUTRAJAYA: The National Parade 2018, which was held in Dataran Putrajaya yesterday, was a huge success and achievement, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
He said the celebration had shown unity and togetherness among Malaysians from different walks of life.
"Today is the most important day to celebrate among us, the day we got our Independence. Remember how difficult it was to achieve freedom and understand how the country was built.
"Now, we have a new government to build and this time we celebrate National Day under the Pakatan Harapan government," he told reporters when met after the parade, which was attended by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V here.
Also present were Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and spouse Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Ali, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Cabinet ministers and special guests.
Thanking the secretariat and everyone who made the event a success, Gobind hoped the National Parade could be even better next year.
Asked if Putrajaya will be chosen again for next year's National Parade, Gobind said : "This is an excellent venue. We see a huge crowd and a lot of space. It gives us a lot of options. A lot can be done.
"It has been a great success and done very well. It is a good idea to hold it in Putrajaya. Of course, some have asked to hold in Dataran Merdeka. But next year, we are not sure," he added.
Meanwhile Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the extraordinary response shown by the people proved they truly felt the true meaning of ‘freedom and independence'.
He said the lively and emotional celebration was seen in the spontaneity of the people, who rose to shout “Sayangi Malaysiaku” each time the slogan was mentioned by the master of ceremony.
Besides this being the first time it is organised by the new government, Lim said the celebrations this year was his first as a member of the federal government.
“What can be seen is that the people clearly showed that they are with the government in celebrating the true meaning of freedom,” said the former Chief Minister of Penang.
Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said the younger generation showed their support for the event and this was proof of the strong sense of patriotism for the nation.
“This clearly shows that the young know their responsibility not just to themselves but more importantly their willingness to work with others to rebuild the nation,” he said.
For Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the celebrations were extra-ordinary and amazing.
“The turn-out by thousands of people from all levels of society is a manifestation of the people's solidarity with the government to celebrate the true meaning of freedom,” he said.
Domestic Trade and Consumerism Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said although the celebrations were simple, they were lively and involved participation from the public, and had a big impact.
“The parade is symbolic of the fact that Malaysia has moved forward as a sovereign nation which is on par with other nations of the same age,” he said.
To Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, each participant showed a high level of commitment and this spirit was good for a nation to excel in various areas.
“The new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will continue to work to improve our performance in all areas and the celebrations today has lifted the spirits of the people of Malaysia,” he said.
According to Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, the celebrations in the era of the new Malaysia was impressive with the involvement of people of all races and religions who celebrated the day together.
“I am very excited and thankful that the people have given us the trust and mandate to steer the nation for the 14th Parliamentary session, and god willing, they will be with us to build the nation,” he said.