Rain did not deter Penangites from National Day celebration

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A pre-dawn downpour did not deter a more than 5,000 strong crowd from celebrating the National Day at Bandar Perda here today.
A post-downpour breeze blew across the road fronting the Seberang Perai Municipal Council headquarters as the guard of honour marched in.
With bayonets glinting in the sunlight, the men of the Third Armour Corp of the Royal Malaysian Army, stood at attention as Penang Yang di-Pertua Tun Dr Abdul Rahman Abbas inspected the honour guard.
The celebrations kicked up a notch as dance groups from the three main Malaysian ethnicities performed before culminating in a final multi-cultural dance number.
This was followed by an acrobatic and athletic gymnastic performance from the Sokko Gakkai troupe who wowed the crowd with their dexterity.
Those in attendance were busily snapping away on their cameras and handphones as the main parade started.
For the 2015 celebrations, a total of 85 contingents from the public and private sectors and several NGOs, totalling 4,235 participants, took part.
Eight school bands were on hand playing uplifting music which put to rest the recent brouhaha over the bar from the Penang Education Department forbidding schools from participating in the celebrations.
Also taking part was nine contingents comprising 236 motor vehicles from motorcycle clubs, the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, the Fire and Rescue Services Department, Prisons Department and Pos Malaysia.
The celebrations which began at 9am ended some two hours later with the guard of honour escorting Abdul Rahman from the stage.