PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the people to take heed of the spirit of the recent National Day celebrations and improve themselves in all aspects.
He said the celebration on Saturday, attended by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia, had showcased the extraordinary spirit of Malaysians.
"I saw the comments on the celebrations (from) in and outside of the country, which were extraordinary. I saw the flag (Jalur Gemilang) being flown in Spain, Paris and many other countries.
"We must be grateful for the peace and stability of the country, hence we must use this spirit to improve ourselves in every aspect," he said during the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly, here today.
Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, and Public Service Department director-general Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
Anwar also expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in making the celebrations a success including ministries, schoolchildren, higher learning institutions and the armed forces.
"I would like to express my thanks to everyone, particularly to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who chaired the event. I also recognise the significant involvement of all departments, especially the Prime Minister's Department, in organising several key events.
"I would also like to thank the schoolchildren, higher education institutions, and our armed forces, particularly the air force, for their impressive displays," he said.
Last Saturday, over 100,000 people filled Dataran Putrajaya, witnessing the unity and collective spirit of patriotism, highlighted by the waving of the Jalur Gemilang.
With the theme "Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka," this year's celebration also featured the participation of 13,000 performers and parade participants, 112 service animals, and 439 land and air assets from various agencies.