VAT69 performance touches audience at Dataran Merdeka

On taking the place in front of the main stage, where Their Royal Highnesses the Yang diPertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mua'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah and the other guests of honour were seated, hundreds of thousands of Malaysians from all walks life and racial background applauded the team.

While not all the officers and men involved in the presentation were those involved in Ops Daulat in defending the nation from terrorists from Sulu in Lahad Datu, Sabah, last March, the bloody incident presented was a heart wrenching scene.

The Queen was even more touched when the faces of the widows of the dead heroes were shown.

The Ops Daulat contingent of 400 including 250 from the Malaysian Armed Forces, 50 from the the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and 100 from the Royal Malaysia Police (representing 8,000 members who were involved) were honoured.

In accordance with the theme of 'My Sovereign Malaysia: My Native Land' the warm response of the people was felt when the theme song was played during show.

According to Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is also the Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, more than 200,000 people attended the celebrations at Dataran Merdeka today.

A visitor, Zalela Yusof, 30, said she would come every year to Dataran Merdeka to watch the parades and Independence Day celebrations.

Zaleha, who came with her four children, including a month-old-baby, said: "I take my children along so they can see for themselves what we have in our army such as helicopters and jets so far only seen on television."

Meanwhile, a tourist from Switzerland, Manuela 9 (only first name given), 28, said the celebration here was a wonderful because it had colourful parades.

"We don't have this kind of events during our independence day, our president will only give his speech and we have fireworks at night, that's all," she said.