KUANTAN: The ‘war’ at the air base here since Saturday has attracted nearly 15,000 visitors, in conjunction with 89th Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Day, who came to witness the MAF’s prowess in carrying out hostage rescue operations and facing ‘enemy’ threats.
The highlight event of the combat parade and aerial demonstration was the first to be opened to the public since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the last one held during the MAF Day Carnival at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Base in Lumut, Perak in 2019.
Private sector employee Nurliyana Aziz, 35, was excited to bring her children Damia Irdina Qaisara Muhammad Izzudin, 6, dan Umar Haris, 4, to see the fighter jet display.
“We reached Kuantan yesterday and stayed at a nearby hotel because I expected traffic to be heavy as I knew there would be many excited people like us... We queued up to enter the air base at 6.30 am today.
“It was fun as the children were excited and would not stop talking when they saw the fighter jets at close range...the ‘war’ scenes were interesting just like that we have seen on television,“ she added.
Civil servant Muizuddin Mohd Rosli, 31, said even he felt excited to witness the aerial display.
Despite going through traffic jams to get to the base, Muizuddin described it as ‘worth it’ due to the 45-minute live demonstration, which also increased his family’s awareness about MAF’s assets.
Housewife Roskamisah Jawat, 52, took her wheelchair-bound husband Ahmad Nazri Othman, 62, a stroke victim, for an outing to watch the MAF demonstration as they lived close to the air base.
The mother of seven said she was excited to attend the event because of the roar of fighter jets and ‘bomb explosions’ taking place since Saturday and which could clearly be heard from her home. She said today being a working day was the right time to go as there were fewer people.
In a statement issued by the MAF headquarters, there were two segments at this year’s celebration featuring a combination of the three branches of the MAF, namely the army, navy and air force.
Also held was a demonstration of the assets of the MAF Special Forces consisting of the ‘Grup Gerak Khas’ (Special Service Group), the Naval Special Forces (PASKAL) and the Air Force Special Forces (PASKAU) as well as the very first air attack simulation showcasing the proficiency of the MAF pilots.
Among the aircraft showcased were the SU-30MKM, F/A-18 D fighter jet, BAE Hawk, C130 transport aircraft; the EC 725 AP and AW 139 and Fennec helicopters as well as the Oerlikon cannon and Sykguard radar. The armoured vehicles ADNAN and Gempita, as well as multiple rocket launcher system or ‘ASTROS’ were also on display in the parade area.
The combat parade and demonstration, involving 1,887 MAF personnel, also featured a static exhibition space for members of the community to gain a better understanding of the MAF branches.
The event, with the theme ‘National Sovereignty A Shared Responsibility’, was officiated by Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang, and also attended by Army chief Gen Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zaid, Air Force chief Gen Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan and Navy chief Tan Sri Mohd Reza Mohd Sany.-Bernama
