PUTRAJAYA: Even before sunrise, the streets lining Dataran Putrajaya were filled with families eager to celebrate National Day up close.
For some, the journey began hours earlier, with one family even leaving Johor at midnight to make it in time for the celebrations.
Among those who arrived before dawn was Siti Noorsharmimi Che Muda, 39, who is from Penang.
She came for the parade together with her husband and their four children.
“It’s actually the first time all of us are watching the parade here, as we usually attend the celebrations in Penang.
“We arrived at about 4am and the place was already buzzing,” she said when met here.
She added that she was also excited to watch the various contingents marching in the parade, especially the brass bands.
“The children too are extremely excited to see this in person,” she added.
Caren Kee, 38, said it was also the first time for her and her family to attend the parade.
“My kids grew extremely interested in wanting to experience this in person after they were taught about patriotism in school.
“We also usually watch the parade on television and this time, we wanted to see all this in person.
“Although there are many people here, the transportation system has allowed for seamless travel,” said Kee who came with her husband and two children.
Kee added that among the performances she was looking forward to was the 24-season drums.
Technician Jacckson Lee, 39, meanwhile came all the way from Johor just to experience National Day celebrations here.
“We left at midnight just to make it here on time. It’s our maiden experience here as a family as well after usually watching the celebrations on television.
“The atmosphere is completely different here, as there are so many people in attendance, livening the experience even more,” said Lee who came with his wife and six children.
He added that this has also been on their family bucket list for quite some time.
Lee is looking forward to seeing the uniformed units, especially the Abang Bomba, after always seeing them online.
Over 80,000 people are expected for this year’s celebrations, either matching or surpassing turnout in previous years.
The school holidays and the transport facilities provided by the organisers are also expected to contribute to the turnout.
