LONDON: Soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (RMR) were among contingents from 21 Commonwealth nations that took part in the Queen's Jubilee Pageant to celebrate the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday.
Resplendent in their ceremonial baju Melayu of white tunics and trousers with gold and green brocade sampin, the two officers and nine enlisted ranks marched behind the Jalur Gemilang in a military parade led by the British armed forces as thousands of onlookers lined the route.
The display of military precision was accompanied by music played by British army bands.
The parade began at Wellington Barracks, near Buckingham Palace, here, and they proceeded along the Mall to the grandstand where Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their children watched from the royal box.
Captain Muhammad Fikri Senan said the battalion was honoured to represent Malaysia, the armed forces and especially their regiment in an event of a lifetime.
The contingent, which arrived on May 27, had been told of their participation in April, after which they started their training.
Their participation gave them the opportunity to mingle with soldiers from other Commonwealth countries such as Australia, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Maldives, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tonga and Uganda.
The last time the RMR marched the same route was in 2008, when they were invited to perform public duties at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London for a month.
After the parade, back at Wellington Barracks, members of the armed forces were each presented with a token of appreciation.
The pageant, which is the culmination of official Platinum Jubilee celebrations from June 2
to 5, celebrated 70 years of heritage, culture and the arts, not just from the United Kingdom but also from across the Commonwealth.
London's parks offered venues for picnics, while thousands of street parties were held across the country as the four-day celebrations came to a close.
Poor weather, which had earlier threatened to spoil the celebrations, did not materialise, much to the joy of revellers, who waited for the 96-year-old monarch to appear at the balcony.
In her vibrant green outfit, Queen Elizabeth waved to the crowd before returning inside Buckingham Palace. It was noted that the monarch stood on the same balcony as she had done since her coronation 70 years ago.