Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud inspects the guard-of-honour before the start of his official 78th birthday celebration at Padang Merdeka in Kuching.
KUCHING: It takes a certain kind of dedication to get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning to go witness a parade – the 78th birthday of Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, and his first as the Head of State.
Even at 7am, traffic was already backed up for a 1-km radius around Padang Merdeka and families could be seen making their way on foot on Jalan P Ramlee towards the epicentre of the festivities, before selecting an ideal patch of grass at the edge of the Dewan Tun Abdul Razak’s hill.
The field was already packed with some 4,000 participants, all filed neatly into lines within their contingents. Parking lots and grassy fields nearby have all been commandeered by one group or another, while vehicular contingents waited a distance away for proceedings to begin.
About five minutes before the hour on the programme, the Chief Minister of Sarawak arrived with his newly-minted title, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, and his wife Puan Sri Dato Jamilah Anu.
The man of the hour didn’t keep his loyal audience waiting long. Before the top of the hour, his car was pulling up in front of the grand stand and his bodyguards, trailing in a car, were providing the requisite drama by smartly exiting their car before it had a chance to stop.
The First Division Combined Band launched into the state anthem and the show was on.
From their station at the Dewan TAR parking lot, the military unleashed their 17-gun salute, bone-rattling if you are one kilometre away and waking people from weekend slumber as far as Matang. Two helicopters flew overhead, each bearing a Malaysian flag and releasing a stream of coloured smoke.
Taib inspected the guard-of-honour, before mounting the back of a specially-outfitted vehicle together with Adenan to inspect the 136 contingents assembled across the field.
Adenan delivered his address afterwards, which outlines the many achievements of Taib in his years at the helm.
“I would like to report that the State of Sarawak is safe, peaceful, and prosperous,” the Chief Minister said in conclusion.
After 78 pigeons were released into the air and a surprisingly well arranged ‘Happy Birthday’ song was sung by the participants on the bleachers opposite the grand stand, the parade started.
The contingents were really a representation of Sarawak’s past, present and future.
There were both the police and army veterans, who marched ahead of the Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Royal Malaysian Police, and Malaysian Armed Forces.
Uniformed bodies impressed with their uniform movements and marching shoes, while those who only march on special occasions did a fairly good job staying in line.
Some kept their spirits up and their steps coordinated with very focused chants of “Krik-krik. Krik-kanan-krik”. The Fire and Rescue Department decided to sing their department song, using their footsteps to keep the beat.
The Kuching Resident Office had every member in their contingent dressed up in either cultural costume or uniform. The Tourism Ministry was accompanied by three mascots – two proboscis monkeys and one hornbill – who wandered to the edges of the crowd to greet children and their amused parents.
Finally, a group of performers surged into mid-field to perform a dance called ‘Payung Mahkota’, replete with umbrellas and other props.
“This is a gift from the people,” said one of the announcers.
Taib and his wife, Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, later departed to more rousing ‘Happy Birthday’ songs. Near every dignitary was sent off with zealous cheers, and Padang Merdeka was soon left with footprints and heavy equipment that will be removed over the weekend.
The receding crowd moved with a different sense of urgency, abandoning the usual trail with litter that follows most large gatherings. Last comes the brigade of cleaners, pensive in picking up after the merriment. With the parade over, there is the rest of the weekend for reflection, especially for the ‘early birds’ who rose to the VIP-studded occasion.