National Day parade kicks off

KUALA LUMPUR: Songs filled the air as thousands descended on Dataran Merdeka to join in on the festivities of the 59th National Day parade.

From early Wednesday morning, throngs of people made their way to the raised seating areas while vendors hawked wares ranging from breakfast to Jalur Gemilangs and vuvuzelas.

There was a threat of rain at around 6.45am as a light drizzle began to fall, though that did little to dampen the excitement in the air.

The sky cleared up a short while later and the event kicked off with songs and performances.

Huge LED screens allowed those present to get close-up views of the performances while at the same time displaying the lyrics of songs.

Performers lined the road and waved flags in rhythmic harmony as Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other VIPs arrived.

It looks to be a grand parade in the making and the cheers from the crowds grow as more and more people pour into the venue.