Putrajaya to host National Day celebration for fifth time in two decades

After making its debut as National Day host in 2003, the federal administrative centre also organised the national-level celebrations in 2005, 2018 and 2019.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who is the National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM) 2023 Main Committee chairman, announced in July that the National Day celebration in Putrajaya on Aug 31 would be as grand as those of previous years.

"Ths year's National Day celebration will be held in Putrajaya. Insya-Allah this year's celebration will be no less glorious than previous years' and it is definitely a date the rakyat are looking forward to," Fahmi said.

This year's celebration marking the 66th National Day carries extra significance as it is the first involving the Unity Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The theme of HKHM 2023 is 'Malaysia MADANI: Tekad Perpaduan Penuhi Harapan', symbolising the collective commitment of the leaders and the people to build a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.

The Malaysia MADANI concept that was introduced by Anwar will be manifested in all aspects of the celebration, from song and dance presentations to acrobatic displays by security forces and the parade of contingents.

The Malaysia MADANI framework encompasses the six core values of keMampanan (Sustainability), kesejAhteraan (Prosperity), Daya cipta (Innovation), hormAt (Respect), keyakiNan (Trust) and Ihsan (Compassion) which will drive efforts to restore the country's stature and glory on the world stage.

When Putrajaya, which was known as Prang Besar before it became the federal administrative centre in 1995, first hosted the event in 2003, 'Keranamu Malaysia' was adopted as the theme of the celebration, and it was repeated in 2005 when Putrajaya staged the celebration for the second time.

In 2003, the 46th National Day parade in Putrajaya involved about 23,000 participants, 63 contingents, 22 brass bands, 18 floats, 20 aircraft and 312 vehicles.

Thirteen years after the second edition in Putrajaya in 2005, the federal administrative capital returned as host of the 2018 National Day themed 'Sayangi Malaysiaku', marking the first National Day celebration under the then Pakatan Harapan government.

The following year, Putrajaya was again picked as the venue for the National Day celebration, with the theme 'Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih', in line with the aspiration to make Malaysia a clean, efficient and trustworthy country.

Based on the 'Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih' theme in 2019, the celebration that year featured an analogy between the nature of termites and the deleterious effects of corruption, and how the people of Malaysia abhor such crimes.