PUTRAJAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, arrived to grace the National Day 2024 celebrations at Dataran Putrajaya.
Thousands of Malaysians ecstatically cheered the Royal couple's arrival at 8am on Saturday (Aug 31).
The King was seen driving his own private car while the Queen was in the passenger seat.
For the first time, His Majesty was also escorted by the Johor Military Forces (JMF) in addition to the Royal Armed Malaysia Forces and the Royal Police Forces.
This year’s event marked His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim’s first attendance at the National Day since he was installed as the 17th King of Malaysia in July.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail arrived for the celebration at 7.54am Saturday.
Two Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, were also seen arriving at the VVIP seating area, accompanied by their respective spouses.
The theme for National Day 2024 is Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka. More than 13,000 participants, including the country’s national defence assets, will march at the event.
The 2024 National Day celebration, which is targeted to attract 100,000 visitors, would also feature performances by 25 bands and three drumming teams, including those from the Army Music Training Center, Kedah Police, the royal motto women's brass band, and traditional Malay, Chinese, and Bhangra drumming.
