BUTTERWORTH: The PICCA@Butterworth Arena Convention Centre here was filled with an atmosphere of colour, harmony and national spirit as thousands of people gathered for the culmination of the 2025 Malaysia Day celebration.
The glittering and truly meaningful night also marked a historic moment for Penang when it was given the honour of hosting the event for the first time to unite all Malaysians by upholding the theme of ‘Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni’.
The lineup of Federal, Sabah and Sarawak ministers, as well as state and central government leaderships, together with the thousands of visitors, began converging at the centre from 6.30 pm.
The event began at 7 pm with a pre-performance by the Penang State Department of Arts and Culture (JKKN) Arts Group, Malaysian Traditional Orchestra, as well as a “cute” performance by the Tabika Perpaduan children.
At 8 pm, the show continued with the arrival of Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow; Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is representing Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg; and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who is representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Then came the arrival of Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof; followed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who just returned home this morning after attending the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, Qatar, with his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib and his wife, Toh Puan Raja Noora Ashikin Raja Abdullah, who were the guests of honour, arrived at 8.30 pm to further enliven the celebrations.
The entire centre was then filled with the national anthem of ‘NegaraKu’, followed by the Penang state anthem of ‘Negeri Kita’, before the recitation of Rukun Negara, which was led by the recipient of the 2016 FIFA Puskas Award, Mohd Faiz Subri, together with 61 participants clad in traditional attire from various races.
The stage was then illuminated with a five-minute performance titled ‘Rentak Tradisi Pulau Mutiara’ (The Rhythm of Penang’s Traditions), which blended three of Penang’s most iconic art forms: Joget Joghee, Chinese Opera, and Boria.
The combination of dance, music and acting was performed by the JKKN Arts Group, Kumpulan Kesenian Adikarma from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Guru Shri Arul Manikan Indian dance group, Penang Teo Chew Opera Association and the Boria Budayasari group.
Upholding the spirit of diversity, this artistic output not only conveyed the state’s unique cultural heritage but also signified the richness of Malaysia’s harmonious identity.
The event continued with speeches by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, also the 2025 National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM 2025) Main Committee chairman, and Chow, also the joint chairman of the Malaysia Day celebration.
This was followed by the recorded speeches by the Chief Minister of Sabah and the Sarawak Premier, before the attendees focused on the Prime Minister’s address in conjunction with the 2025 Malaysia Day celebration.
Anwar, Uggah, representing the Sarawak Premier, and Shahelmey, representing the Sabah Chief Minister, then signed the 2025 Malaysia Day Celebration Special Book as a joint resolution to preserve peace and strengthen unity.
PICCA@Butterworth Arena witnessed a historic moment when all three leaders signed the book, thus becoming a symbol of national unity.
After that, prizes for the ‘Bersama Malaysiaku’ Campaign were presented to three individuals from different backgrounds. They were chosen from thousands of participants, who sent in their photographs together with a brief description of their lives, since the initiative was launched in July.
Fifty-six-year-old Danken Anak Philip, a farmer from Kampung Sangai Mawang, Serian, Sarawak, won first place and took home a Proton E.Mas car; followed by Mazlina Badrunsaah, a nurse from Perak, who bagged a Proton X70; and mechanic Shakira Syafiq Othman, also from Sarawak, who clinched a Modenas motorcycle.
The highlight was when the Malaysia Day Capsule was brought in for the inauguration by Tun Ramli, who was accompanied by Anwar, Uggah (representing Sarawak) and Shahelmey (representing Sabah) on the stage.
Colourful laser lights and a special video presentation then lit up the entire centre, thus signifying the completion of the inauguration and the capsule - symbolising hope, trust and unity among all Malaysians - kept for the future.
The event continued with the 2025 Malaysia Day cake-cutting ceremony by Tun Ramli, a tradition not only marking the country’s anniversary but also symbolising the shared friendship, prosperity and harmony in the spirit of ‘Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni’.
One of the most heartfelt moments was when the Jalur Gemilang was brought into the centre in gala style and handed over to Tun Ramli to be presented to the Second Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD), Sungai Ara Camp, Penang, for the flag-hoisting ceremony.
Thousands of spectators witnessed this event with pride and respect, while appreciating the symbol of sovereignty and unity of our beloved nation.
A special video presentation showing the proclamation of Malaysia Day also touched the hearts of all those present as they witnessed the display of meaningful moments and historic moments that united the people under the banner of an independent nation.
The stage show then began with a special Rumpun MADANI performance by the Malaysian Traditional Orchestra from Istana Budaya, which combined traditional instruments from various races and ethnicities in Malaysia.
A loud cheer erupted when rock queen Ella took to the stage to belt out her popular tune titled ‘Standing In The Eyes Of The World’ with gusto.
The hall reverberated when the audience joined in singing the patriotic song, originally the theme of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, composed by Wah Idris with American composer David Gates and lyrics by Datuk Habsah Hassan.
After Ella’s performance, first-season One In A Million winner Suki Low took the stage with ‘Cai Zhuang’, representing the Chinese community.
This was followed by Roshini Balachandran with ‘Yennode Macha’, a number popularised by Zubir Khan.
The song, widely embraced not only among the Indian community but also among youths of various backgrounds, further enlivened the celebration.
Representing Borneo, Sarawakian singer Rezza Shah performed ‘Ohaa Sarawak’, before Dabra Sia closed the segment with ‘Hanya di Sabah’.
The 30-minute special performance concluded with all artistes appearing together on stage to deliver ‘Saya Anak Malaysia’ and ‘Jalur Gemilang’, accompanied by dancers waving flags alongside the audience in a vibrant display of patriotism.
All performances were accompanied by the Malaysian Traditional Orchestra from Istana Budaya, under the direction of Mohd Yazid Zakaria, with dances performed by a combination of groups from the National Department for Culture and Arts, Penang State Cultural Council, 5678 Dance Studio and the Guru Shri Arul Manikan Dance Group.
To cap off the night, a fireworks display lit up the Butterworth sky, providing a spectacular finale to a celebration that united Malaysians of all ages, races and faiths in the true spirit of independence. - BERNAMA
