Thousands show up for National Day celebration at Dataran Merdeka

KUALA LUMPUR: The early morning downpour and mild haze in Kuala Lumpur did not deter thousands of Malaysians to make their way down to Dataran Merdeka to celebrate the country's 59th National Day celebration today.
Citizens from all walks of life were seen filling up the seated areas along the Dataran as early as 6.30am, with LRT stations also congested early in the morning as many opted to use public transport.
The scene in Dataran, meanwhile, was filled with the colours of Jalur Gemilang as Malaysians waved the national flag while many others carried along balloons depicting the colours of the flag.
The first big cheer from the crowd was heard when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor arrived to join the auspicious celebration about 7.50am.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah also graced the event as they made their way into the main grandstand at 8am.
Among others present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis, Cabinet ministers and foreign diplomats.
In keeping with tradition, Tuanku Abdul Halim took the salute and inspected the guard-of-honour mounted by four officers and 103 men from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment led by Major Azadlee Rafedzi Kamal Rafedzi.
The crowd then witnessed the hoisting of the national flag by officers from The Royal Malaysian Navy followed by the singing of Negaraku and the 14-gun salute representing the states in the country by the Royal Artillery Regiment.
This was followed by the oath-taking (ikrar) ceremony, and ended with the crowd being led to the shouts of "Merdeka".
The spectators were then entertained by field performances participated by the Federal Territories and Selangor Education Departments, comprising 3,600 performers.
The National Day parade and procession then proceeded with 10 performance segments namely patriotism, public services, economy, animation, self-esteem, sports, public order, national security, air show and national unity.
A crowd puller were the assets showcased by the police, which included their Kawasaki GTR 1400 P and Honda ST 1300 P motorcycles used by the traffic division and the latest Army, Air Force and Navy assets, including armoured personnel carriers and howitzers.
The national Olympic contingent, led by national shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei took the audience by surprise when they made their way on top of a parade bus.
The crowd was also treated with an airshow performed by the Royal Malaysian Airforce (RMAF) fly formation which this time featured four Hawk aircrafts, four F/A 18Ds and four Sukhoi SU 30 MKM fighter jets.
The ceremony concluded with the tune of the national anthem, and the final cheers of Merdeka, as the King and Queen left Dataran Merdeka, followed by Najib and his wife.
Some 15,000 participants took part in the colourful, vibrant parade comprising those from both the public and private sectors.
This year's celebration retained last year's theme of "Sehati, Sejiwa" (One heart, One soul).