Anwar’s back in i-City on Aug 31
PKR leader was at its inception in 1997
SHAH ALAM: Though named one of the world’s top 25 brightest and most colourful places by CNN Travel last year, the 72-acre ultrapolis i-City is still reaching for new heights by lighting up the skyline on the night of its “Terima Kasih Malaysia” National Day celebration.
The event will be held from 8pm to midnight tomorrow.
PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is “returning” as the special guest of honour.
He was present at the inception ceremony of i-City in 1997.
At the stroke of midnight, Anwar will set off a fireworks display.
“i-City has been holding National Day celebrations for the past five years, but this year will be even grander,” said i-City director Monica Ong.
“Free rides are given out for certain attractions,” she said, “such as the 88-seat, two-tier carousel in the City of Digital Lights, the House of Horror and the Trick Art Museum at the CityWalk.”
Visitors can also take pictures of a re-enactment of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman declaring independence at Dataran Merdeka in 1957 at the Red Carpet 2, Malaysia’s first home-grown interactive wax museum.
Cultural dances and performances such as the lion dance, dikir barat and silat demonstration are also in the line-up.
The “Terima Kasih Malaysia” countdown parade starts from 9pm onwards.
Ong said the special attractions are expected to pull in a 40,000-strong crowd, double the size of last year’s National Day celebrations in i-City.
“We have mapped out the entire crowd control (plans), including traffic. Even though we have 13,000 car park bays, we encourage the public to come by public transport or carpool,” she said at a press conference yesterday.
“i-City intends to make the National Day celebration a more meaningful one for the community. It is meant for the entire community because we are a tourism hotspot. For i-City, the celebration is for the community by and large.
“i-City is a multicultural location.
“If you look at the visitors that come to i-City, it cuts across all age groups,” said Ong, when asked how the spirit of Merdeka fits in with i-City’s vision.