PUTRAJAYA: Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has expressed his delight with the 2024 National Day parade at Dataran Putrajaya, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
"His Majesty was very pleased with the parade's punctuality, which is crucial," he said after the event.
He said that feedback from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, cabinet members, and the public indicated widespread satisfaction with this year's parade.
Anwar praised the event as one of the best National Day parades he had ever witnessed.
Fahmi hopes the success will carry over to the Malaysia Day parade in Kota Kinabalu on Sept 16.
Preliminary estimates suggest the turnout exceeded 100,000 people.
"It was clear we had over 100,000 attendees," he said.
The energetic performances were a standout feature, Fahmi said, adding that Anwar agreed to meet with participants to convey his gratitude.
He said a post-event review would be conducted to identify areas for improvement in future celebrations.
"Thank you to the Deputy Communications Minister, the secretary-general (Communications Ministry), and the team in the (National Day parade) committee who have successfully managed all the parade contingents.
"Now, we look forward to Kota Kinabalu for Malaysia Day celebrations," he said.
The 2024 National Day celebrations, themed "Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka", featured around 17,000 participants, including 57 contingents, 25 marching bands, 112 live assets, and 479 national assets, along with an impressive aerial display.
This marked the sixth time Putrajaya has hosted the event since 2003.