MELAKA – The 50s and 60s era fashion theme is selected for the Malaysia Day 2022 celebration at the Independence Declaration Memorial Square in Banda Hilir, here. This is to evoke nostalgia for the formation of Malaysia in September 1963.
Melaka Information director (Japen) Shahrom Ravin Daram Abdullah said the fashion theme would be among the uniqueness of this year’s Malaysia Day celebration which is expected to be attended by about 20,000 visitors.
"I can feel that this year’s celebration will be more lively,” he said when met by reporters at his office here, recently.
Shahrom said the celebration will also highlight Melaka’s popular mode of transportation known as the rickshaw.
"The guests of honour and other VIPs will arrive at the venue in rickshaws accompanied by antique Vespa motorcycles, bicycles and a band performance playing songs from the 50s and 60s.
"We also have banners written in Jawi and with old Malay spelling to evoke the era when Malaysia was formed,” he said.
The 2022 Malaysia Day celebration would start at 8pm. He urged Malaysians from all walks of life, especially those in Melaka and nearby areas, to attend en masse and don their traditional and ethnic costumes.
There will also be programmes to evoke the spirit of togetherness and patriotism among Malaysians, like the recitation of the Rukun Negara pledge and performances on “Catatan Malaysia” and the signing of the Proclamation Book.
There will also be a special performance entitled “Dari Robohan Kota Melaka, Kita Dirikan Negara Merdeka" which is divided into four segments.
"These performances will be presented in the form of movement, visuals and narration on the history of the formation of Malaysia, including monologues, poetry readings, pantomime and infographics," he said.
There will also be performances by artists such as Datuk Jamal Abdillah, Datuk Nash, Ernie Zakri, Jimmy Palikat, Anding, Iwere, Kenny Lee and Radhi P. Ramlee.
Commenting on Japen’s preparations for the celebration, Shahrom said a total of 610 banners and 22 billboards had been installed in the state since the National Month celebration on August 1.
Apart from that, he said Japen Melaka through the District Information Office also mobilised the Info on Wheels (IoW) machinery to make announcements on the celebration to the public.
"We are also working with the Broadcasting Department, Bernama and the Corporate Communications Division of Melaka Chief Minister's Department to spread the word on their social media platforms.
"Information on the celebration is also shared through the WhatsApp group application with 84 Malaysian Family Communities in Melaka," he added.
The public is encouraged to share hashtags for all national activities through their social media platforms. The hashtags are: #KeluargaMalaysiaTeguhBersama, #KeluargaMalaysia, #TeguhBersama, #HKHM2022, Merdeka360 and #KKOMM.
They can also visit the website www.merdeka360.my for information on National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations. – Bernama, September 12, 2022
