KOTA KINABALU: A 17-gun salute reverbrated through the heart of the city as the Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin’s official 64th birthday celebration here began with a ceremonial marching parade competition yesterday morning.
Padang Merdeka was filled with some 10,000 people as the customary firing of cannons attracted foreign tourists and local spectators to witness the ceremony involving 85 contingents.
Sabah’s 10th Head of State and his wife Toh Puan Norlidah R M Jasni were joined by Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman and wife Puan Sri Faridah Tussin, State Dewan Speaker Datuk Seri Panglima Syed Abas Syed Ali and wife Datin Seri Panglima Nuraini Habib Kadir, state cabinet ministers and other dignitaries at the ceremony.
Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) Enforcement Department beat 16 other contingents and reigned as champion for the government department in official uniform marching category.
The Malaysian Royal Customs Department and Volunteers Department (RELA) took the second and third places respectively in the same category.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) won the government department not in official uniform category, which was participated by 27 contingents.
Close behind JKR were the Sabah Town and Regional Planning Department and Chief Minister’s Department in the second and third places respectively.
In the non-governmental organization or association or ethnic category, Akademi Jahitan Kota Kinabalu won by beating 11 other contingents, followed by Pasukan Tindakan Cemas Malaysia and Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia Cawangan Sabah.
Yayasan Sabah Group beat seven other contingents in the private or commercial category, whilst the Sabah Forestry Development Authority and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) took the second and third places respectively.
Among the six contingents participating in the higher public or private learning institution (IPTA/IPTS) category, Komander Kasatria UiTM Sabah took the first place, whilst Petronas Briged Bomba and Institusi Latihan Kesihatan Malaysia took second and third places.
In the secondary school category, Kadet Remaja Sekolah SMK Sri Nangka Tuaran beat nine other contingents and took the first prize home whilst SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and SMK Taman Ria took second and third places.
For the primary school category, Pengakap Kanak-kanak SK Sri Gaya reigned among the five contingents, whilst SK St Francis Convent (m) took the second place and Pemimpin-pemimpin Kecil SRK Sacred Heart were placed third.