KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- Preparations for this year's National Day celebration at Dataran Merdeka are going well and almost ready.
Checks by Bernama Wednesday found that the technical work seemed almost completed and the multi-storey seats and a stage have been installed.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) assistant engineer, Hendra Hizad Abd Hamid said that 80 per cent of the technical work had been completed, including the installation of more than 3,000 multi-storey seats and a 108-metre by nine-metre LED screen.
He said the LED screen was the longest and largest ever used in any celebration in the country.
"The other 20 per cent will only involve the final preparations including canvas and carpet installations, which will be done a day before the celebration," he told Bernama.
The event is a collaboration between the Prime Minister's Office, DBKL, Communications and Multimedia Ministry and National Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN).
JKKN Cultural Arts Development Division director Rosli Osman said there would be interesting twists during this year's National Day celebration on Aug 31, especially for city dwellers.
"One of it is a more energetic formation performance which will wow the spectators attending the event," he said.
Rosli said, for the first time, the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) would be entertaining the audience with a band performance called 'Rentak Sederap Gabungan ATM' featuring about 900 personnel.
More than 8,000 participants from the government and private sector will be involved in the parade, marching band and anti-terrorist demonstration.
Rosli said the parade exercises had started since yesterday and the full dress rehearsal would be held on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Baru Seri Petaling, Kelly Lim, 16, said she and her colleagues had been training for a month.
"I feel so excited to perform in front of the crowd as well as to celebrate National Day together with other Malaysians," she said.
Kelly is among 2,640 students from KL and Selangor to be involved in the field performances.
The theme for this year's National Day is '#sehatisejiwa' (One Heart, One Soul).
-- BERNAMA