King arrives in Proton Satria Neo R3 to loud cheers as Malaysians celebrate 68th Merdeka in Putrajaya (VIDEO)

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 31 — Malaysia’s 68th Merdeka celebration kicked off in grand style this morning, with thousands thronging the boulevards of Putrajaya for the National Day and Malaysia Day 2025 parade.

Some in the crowd had staked out their spots since late last night, arriving as early as 11pm and taking advantage of Prasarana’s free shuttle buses.

Families came prepared with folding chairs, mats and umbrellas, determined not to miss a moment of the nation’s biggest annual showcase in the federal administrative capital.

By dawn, anticipation was building as federal leaders began to arrive. But the loudest cheers were reserved for His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who arrived around 8.15am.

The King, known for his love of cars, drove himself in a striking blue Proton Satria Neo R3 bearing the number plate “WWW1”, with his consort Raja Zarith Sofiah seated beside him.

The royal arrival was marked with a ceremonial Hormat Diraja (Royal Salute) and an inspection of the Guard of Honour.

The national anthem Negaraku followed, before the Jalur Gemilang was raised to thunderous ceremonial cannon fire.

Adding to the spectacle was beloved songstress Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, who took centre stage to perform this year’s patriotic theme song, Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni.

Dressed in a maroon baju kurung, she was accompanied by a swirl of dancers in traditional attire representing Malaysia’s diverse ethnic groups, with schoolchildren forming a vibrant “colour guard” display behind her.

From there, the much-anticipated parade began — a vast, meticulously choreographed procession of 81 contingents involving 14,062 participants.

Among them were 21 marching bands, seven decorated floats, 508 land and air assets, and even 116 service animals.