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Malaysia's Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (3rd L) and his wife Tuanku Nur Zahirah (2nd R) wave their country's national flag. |
CAIRO — Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Friday, August 31, urged the present and next generations to continue the legacy of past leaders as the country went into party mode to celebrate its 50 years as an independent nation, The New Strait Times reported.
"We have to be confident that we will be able to achieve our vision of becoming a developed nation. In the near future Malaysians will continue to work together as a united nation based on the Rukun Negara (Malay for national principles)," Abdullah told the country's independence gala.
"The younger generation should not shy away from their duties and responsibilities,"
Abdullah said Malaysians should be grateful for the success the country had achieved in the past 50 years.
"We should also be thankful to our forward-thinking leaders like the two earliest prime ministers, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak," he said.
He noted that the veteran leaders were preoccupied with one and only thing: independence.
"No one said ‘Good Night’ or even ‘Asalam mualaikum’, everyone had only one word: Merdeka. They greeted each other with that word," he said using the Malay word meaning independence.
He said the younger generation must protect the sovereignty of this country with their heart and soul to show that they appreciated the sacrifices of past leaders on the road to independence.
Malaysia has won independence from the British occupiers on August 31, 1957.
Since then, it has been transformed into one of the Muslim world's most developed countries.
It has also slashed poverty through stable economic growth, becoming Southeast Asia's third largest economy.
My Glorious Malaysia
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| Fireworks light up sky of Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya. (Reuters) |
The country staged Friday an extravagant and multicultural display of pomp and ceremony.
Themed "Malaysiaku Gemilang" (My Glorious Malaysia), the colorful and joyous two-hour parade comprising 25,000 participants kicked off at about 8.00 am, Malaysia's Bernama news agency reported.
Thousands of spectators began flocking to the square as early as 6:00 am to witness the parade made up of 100 contingents from the public and private sectors, including 12,570 marchers, 14 floats, 25 military vehicles and a breathtaking aerial display performed by 52 aircraft.
Fifty students recited the Rukun Negara before breaking into shouts of Merdeka seven times.
The square then turned into a kaleidoscope of colors as the field presentation comprising 10,000 performers, a choir and drum beaters got underway.
The performance by the 1,000-strong Malaysia Drum Symphony signified the spirit of unity among the country's various racial communities.
"The parade reflected the five eras which established peace, progress and prosperity for the nation — independence, development, unity, modernization and excellence," Bernama said.
Among the foreign dignitaries present at the festivities were Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah; the Duke of York, Prince Andrew; Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Australian Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery.
Asian leaders attending also included Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and a host of ambassadors.
Also joining in the celebration was former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
On Thursday night, lights illuminated the capital's landmark buildings like City Hall, Bank Rakyat, Dayabumi, the Royal Selangor Club, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad and the National History Museum.
The buildings were illuminated with the colors of the Malaysian flag from projectors positioned around the area. Images of the former prime ministers were also projected on the City Hall building.
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