40,000 Visitors Join Kedah’s National Day Celebrations

About 40,000 people from different communities gathered at Dataran Medan Bandar in Alor Setar for Kedah’s 69th National Day celebration.

More than 3,000 participants took part in 96 contingents representing government departments, schools, higher-education institutions, uniformed services and non-governmental organizations. Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah attended the ceremony, accompanied by Kedah’s Raja Muda, Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah, and Crown Prince Tunku Shazuddin Ariff.

The ceremony opened with the state anthem, “Allah Selamat Sultan,” followed by the sultan’s inspection of a guard of honor from the Sixth Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. Choir performances, traditional dances and a parade then continued across the main stage.

The crowd also watched a flypast involving three Pilatus PC-7 MK II training aircraft and two EC 120B helicopters from the Royal Malaysian Air Force training facilities based at the Royal Malaysian Air Force College in Alor Setar. The event included a military-equipment exhibition featuring four GEMPITA infantry fighting vehicles, as well as Cendana Auto FFR vehicles, weapon carriers and mortar carriers. Recruitment promotion for the Territorial Army and a small-arms exhibition ran through the afternoon.