These enthusiastic youngsters attending the National Day celebrations in Putrajaya were among an estimated 100,000 people who gathered from as early as 1am Aug 31 to watch the parade. – BERNAMApic
PUTRAJAYA: A family of four travelled 170km from Ipoh, Perak to Putrajaya just to experience first-hand the 2023 National Day celebrations here.
Angelia Oswald,15, when met at 6.15am at Dataran Putrajaya on Thursday (Aug 31), said she and three family members left Ipoh at midnight and arrived in Putrajaya at 4am.
"We felt that we have not experienced the National Day celebrations before, having only watched it on television.
"My older sister suggested travelling to Putrajaya to see it first-hand, and we were excited to be able to watch the aerial display (during the National Day parade)," said the SMK Tarcisian Convent student.
Many visitors began gathering at Dataran Putrajaya as early as 1am and there were those willing to camp in the area and sleep on the sidewalks just so they could catch the celebrations, being held here for the fifth time.
Three friends were also excited to watch this year's parade and decided to camp in front of the Post Office at Dataran Putrajaya in order to get the best vantage point to watch the colourful proceedings.
Hakimi Tuan Muda, 26, said he and his two friends from Puncak Alam, Selangor drove to Dataran Putrajaya, arriving at about 1am, after welcoming the country's 66th year of independence at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.
"When we arrived (at Dataran Putrajaya), it was already full of people. We decided to get some sleep, and felt very safe as there were many policemen patrolling the area," he said.
Hakimi, a backhoe operator, said he was motivated to attend the celebrations in Putrajaya after watching videos and photographs shared by the media and the public on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.
Another visitor, Mohd Akmal Mohd Noor, 27, said he came to Putrajaya not just to watch the parade but more because he wanted to instil a love for the country in his three-year-old daughter.
"Although she is small, I noticed how happy and enthusiastic she was. She only slept for an hour because she was so excited to come here and join the celebrations.
"Through this parade, I will be able to show her the uniformed bodies we have in the country," said Mohd Akmal, who came from Shah Alam with his wife and in-laws.
Meanwhile, a survey found an increase in the number of commuters at 4.30am using the MRT to Putrajaya.
Private sector employee Edward Lee from Cyberjaya brought his two children, aged seven and nine, to watch the parade.
"I want them to have the experience of watching the celebration and seeing the cultural performances of the various Malaysian communities," said Lee, who took the Rapid KL shuttle bus with his wife and children from Putrajaya Sentral.
Another visitor, Marsan Tijan, 47, from Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan said he had been at Dataran Putrajaya since early in the morning and slept at the location in order to catch the parade.
He said his youngest son Mohd Aiman Zakwan, six, wanted to watch the parade involving military assets such as tanks and fighter jets.
"We were all excited and were not deterred even when it started to rain at 4am. We wanted to sit in a strategic place to catch the show, so we opened up our umbrellas and waited," he added.
The National Day 2023 celebration, the first under the unity hovernment led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is themed Malaysia Madani: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan (Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope). – Bernama
