Shorter programme but still a grand affair
KUALA TERENGGANU: Despite a shorter programme to make way for Friday prayers, the statelevel National Day parade here was still a grand affair.
The parade had to end at 11.30am, so the route was shorter compared to previous celebrations.
Despite so, members of the public lined up along the 2.8km stretch from Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Stadium to the Batu Buruk recreational park from as early as 7.30am to watch the parade.
A total of 102 teams from various agencies, uniformed units and schools participated in the parade.
The parade marched past the Yang diPertuan Muda Terengganu Tengku Muhammad Ismail Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, his sister Tengku Nadhirah Zahrah and Mentri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar among others.
In Kuantan, the celebration was a modest affair as the government needed to save costs as well as to shorten the programme due to Friday prayers.
The celebration at MPK1 field kicked off with a recitation of the Rukunegara by SMK Paya Besar special education student Daniel Hakimi Mohd Rostam, 13.
The parade, made up of 86 contingents, featured flybys from six Sukhoi SU30MKM fighter jets and a PT91M “Pendekar” main battle tank.
Pahang Regent Tengku Mahkota Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was clearly impressed with “Pendekar” as he took some time to inspect the tank.
Also present at the event were Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar and Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
In Kelantan, Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob called on the younger generation to be cautious of neocolonisation threatening the spirit of independence.
“The tide of globalisation in the borderless world paves the way for certain entities to influence politics, economy, as well the Muslim social system,” he said at the National Day celebration at the Pasir Mas Mini Stadium before thousands of people.
Over in Miri, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg, state ministers and ethnic community representatives joined the attendees in a grand and colourful show of patriotism.
They sang songs and waved the national and state flags at the Miri Pullman Hotel.