Unifying message: Siti captivating the crowd at Dataran Putrajaya with a performance of ‘Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni’. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Long before dawn broke over the horizon, a wave of eager anticipation swept over Dataran Putrajaya as massive crowds gathered for the National Day 2025 parade.
By 4am, the air was already buzzing with excitement as hundreds rushed to claim prime viewing spots along the barricades, not at all bothered that the festivities would only commence some four hours later.
Some even set up camp the previous night just to get their spots.
At its peak, over 100,000 spectators attended the National Day celebrations here.
The sound of brass bands from uniformed units belting out both patriotic sounds and pop hits in the distance made the atmosphere even more electrifying.
Amid the buzzing crowd, guests of honour, including Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and other Cabinet ministers, took their seats.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, arrived at the venue.
But it was the entrance of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, that stole the show.
Driving a striking blue Proton Satria Neo R3, the King arrived with Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, to cheers roaring from the crowd.
Celebrations then began with Negaraku, being sung in unison with the raising of the Jalur Gemilang.
This was followed by a performance by national songstress Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, energising the crowd even further.
Accompanying her was a special dance performance featuring 1,000 participants from the National Department for Culture and Arts, dressed in traditional costumes representing the various cultures of Malaysia.
Following this, a unique human graphics performance featuring 2,000 students from various secondary schools took place.
They were praised by Anwar as the best he had seen in Malaysia’s history.
“I am proud of our children. Study well and keep up the effort,” said the Prime Minister.
The much-awaited parade then began, involving more than 14,000 participants, 81 contingents, over 400 vehicles, 116 service animals, and 21 brass bands.
The Fire and Rescue Depart-ment, a crowd favourite, did not disappoint.
Besides featuring “Abang Bomba”, the department’s female personnel, “Akak Bomba”, also made an appearance.
Other agencies, too, did not disappoint, with musclemen from the Road Transport Department, police, and military also being cheered on by the sea of spectators lined up along Dataran Putrajaya.
Spectators also got to see the lesser-known but equally vital Chemistry Department as they marched in full hazmat suits to the tune of band music, much to the crowd’s amazement.
A special feature of this year’s celebrations was the first ever Asean Chairmanship 2025 Contingent, marking Malaysia’s role as this year’s Chair of Asean.
Another unique contingent was from Visit Malaysia 2026, which wowed the crowd with custom- designed bicycles with sidecars.
Each bicycle was decorated to highlight the culture and heritage of each of Malaysia’s 13 states and three federal territories.
The sound of bagpipes filled the air as Malaysian Armed Forces personnel belted out tunes while marching alongside tanks and other military vehicles.
The thunderous roar of fighter jets capped off the celebrations as various military aircraft of different types zoomed past overhead in formation.
The crowd was obviously wowed by the show put on by the Royal Malaysian Air Force as modern jet planes whizzed past each other while performing aerobatic manoeuvres, and some of the largest flying steel titans in the Air Force’s arsenal made an appearance.
The event then concluded with one last joint cultural dance performance by the 1,000 participants of the National Department for Culture and Arts and the 2,000 students from the human graphics performance.
