PUTRAJAYA: After two years of muted celebrations due to Covid-19, the annual National Day parade will return along with a host of activities in conjunction with National Month and Malaysia Day.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob urged Malaysians to enliven the National Day by hoisting the Jalur Gemilang to express their love for the country.
"Apart from waving the Jalur Gemilang, (we can) prove our love (for the country) by upholding good values, as well as giving cooperation and exercising tolerance, supporting the government's initiatives and disseminating only genuine and verified news.
"Spreading fake news, especially through social media, should be curbed before it becomes a practice that could bring down the wellbeing of the Malaysian Family," he said at the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang 2022 launch event at Dataran Putrajaya today.
He said social media could be used to enliven the National Month with well wishes to friends, employers and families.
This year's celebration, themed "Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama", reflected the harmony and peace in our multiracial country, he said.
He said that "Teguh Bersama" (strong together) referred to the resilience and the unity of the Malaysian Family in facing challenges while coming together as a family.
"The spirit in Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama should be livened up and embraced in our efforts to improve the wellbeing of the people in facing global economic challenges.
"I'm confident that nobody could disrupt our strong Malaysian Family when we do everything together."
He said the National Day and Fly the Jalur Gemilang events were held in remembrance of the struggle for independence and to celebrate the nation's capable administration after gaining nationhood.
While no longer under the control of colonial powers, Ismail Sabri said Malaysia continued to face external threats that could disrupt the peace and harmony built since its independence on Aug 31, 1957.
"After fighting the Covid-19 pandemic from two years ago, the country is transitioning into endemicity, and the Malaysian Family is starting to return to a life that promotes their wellbeing, as how we were before the pandemic."
At the event, Ismail Sabri flagged off the Kembara Keluarga Malaysia 2022 (KKM2022) convoy.
The Jalur Gemilang baton will be passed throughout the KKM2022 journey from Putrajaya to many locations in the peninsula, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
The convoy will end on Aug 31 at Dataran Merdeka, the celebration venue for the National Day celebration.
Earlier, Ismail Sabri and thousands of Malaysians walked about 2.7km from Dataran Putra under the Berjalan Teguh Bersama programme.
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