A total of 400 personnel of the Ministry of National Unity and university students will take part in the National Day 2023 parade here, next Thursday.
They will make up the MADANI Malaysia unity contingent, one of the 10 contingents that will also be involved namely nationhood, economic, banking, telecommunication, creative industry and broadcast, community, national sports, well-being and national security contingents.
Contingent coordinator Azfa Nazuha Azizan said the unity contingent participants who will be led by the National Unity Ministry deputy secretary-general Mohamad Sobri Mat Daud, will be donning the traditional costumes of the various ethnics in Malaysia.
She said half of the participants will be donning the costumes of various races in the peninsula including Malay, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Orang Asli, while another half will be representing ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak such as the Kadazan, Dusun, Bajau, Sungai, Iban, Bidayuh and Melanau.
She told this to Bernama at the National Day celebrations rehearsal, here, today.
Azfa Nazuha noted that the unity contingent has the highest number of public participants to reflect the emphasis on the unity of Malaysians in line with this year’s theme, ‘Malaysia MADANI: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan’.
She said the unity contingent was brought to Dataran Putrajaya to enhance the sense of identity and love for the country to maintain and further strengthen the unity and harmony in the country.
“Unity in diversity, which has existed for so long, is a uniqueness that serves as the source of strength for our nation to enhance unity and harmony among Malaysians,” she said.
Meanwhile, a first-time contingent participant, Jackcob Petrus, 23 from Tawau, Sabah, said he was proud to be a participant as it allowed him to play an active role in instilling patriotism among the people.
“For me, this independence should be deeply embraced with all our hearts to better understand the struggles, sacrifices and the spirit of unity that we need to uphold,” he said.
Fellow participant, Michele Emanuel, 20, of the Orang Ulu ethnic group, will be wearing a traditional Chinese costume, adding that she joined the contingent after a friend persuaded her to experience the National Day parade.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency