PUTRAJAYA, Aug 31 — The Malaysia Madani spirit glows bright on Merdeka with people from all segments of society thronging Dataran Putrajaya here this morning for a lively, colourful celebration of the nation’s independence.
Themed “Malaysia Madani: People Minded”, the 68th Merdeka celebration reflected strong patriotism, enlivened by various ceremonial events, performances, and a parade that showcased the strength of the country and its people.
The event kicked off with the arrival of honourable guests from as early as 6.30am, culminating in the arrival of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who drove himself and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, in a blue Proton Satria Neo with the licence plate WWW1, at 8am.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his deputies Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Cabinet members including Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and diplomats and foreign dignitaries were also present.
The prestigious event began with the national song “Negaraku”, followed by the raising of the Jalur Gemilang amid a 14-gun salute by the Royal Artillery Regiment Battery 14 to represent the coalition of Malaysia’s 14 states.
It was followed by the Rukun Negara, led by Mohd Firdaus Arbaain, who was hailed as a hero in a boat capsize incident in Teluk Batik, Perak, on August 28, 2023. The rescuer received the Federal Gallantry Star from the King on June 2.
The ceremonial events were followed by a special appearance by national vocalist Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, who performed the National Day and Malaysia Day 2025 theme song, which kicked the celebration up another notch as attendees joined in the singing.
After the song, which carried a message of hope for the people’s well-being and unity, the celebration continued with an 81-contingent parade involving 14,062 participants, 21 marching bands, seven floats, 508 land and air assets, and 116 animals in the public service.
The parade featured an airshow by the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) and Madani special performance, made more vibrant with a human graphic terrace as well as a choir of 2,000 students from 50 secondary schools in Selangor and the Federal Territories.
The parade was kicked off by the Malaysian Army’s Music Training Centre (PUZIDA) marching band, followed by a contingent of 120 Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia cadet officers carrying a giant 24m by 12m Jalur Gemilang.
They were followed by the Victoria Institution marching band and colour guard carrying state flags, to which attendees got on their feet to wave their own flags to the beat of the music.
Cheers were heard from every corner of the square when the people’s contingents started their march past the grandstand, led by the Asean 2025 chairmanship contingent that was coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and featured a float decorated to reflect regional unity as well as a fleet of electric cars, in line with Malaysia’s chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.
A Visit Malaysia 2026 contingent followed that display, with trishaws decorated with state tourism icons, symbolising the commitment of the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) to empower Malaysia’s heritage and sustainability of its arts.
The people’s cheers grew to a roar when the Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang contingent entered the venue — its final stop after its tour to 88 spots nationwide — with the deep rumbles of their high-powered motorcycle engines and four-wheel drives.
The parade continued with the private and economy contingent, who received thunderous applause when their interactive roving truck displayed the message “Merdeka daripada scam (Free from scams)”, coordinated by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) through Dataran Putrajaya.
Attendees were seen recording every moment of the parade, including the broadcasting and creative industry contingent that involved Bernama and popular mascots Didi & Friends, Mechamato, Boboiboy, Papazola, Ejen Ali, Omar dan Hana, and local artists.
Excitement reached a pitch when the sports contingent marched in, featuring national athletes including Malaysia’s first chess grandmaster Yeoh Li Tian, Para Swimming World Championship winner Duran Yaspi Imam Basori, and SEA Deaf Games 2025 gold medallists, amid raucous applause from attendees.
The next contingents featured disabled civil servants from 30 ministries and departments including the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA), Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), and Chemistry Department.
Crowd favourites entered next, with the K9 and equestrian units dogs and horses in civil service stealing everyone’s hearts with their antics, and a special appearance by the Civil Defence Force’s orange tabby cat, fondly known as “oyen”.
The people’s cheers grew to fever pitch when the national security contingents arrived on vehicle assets through Dataran Putrajaya, especially when they saw Malaysian heroes flexing their muscles and the elegant women in the Malaysian Armed Forces.
