Malaysia Celebrates 64th Anniversary of Independence

Malaysia marked the 64th anniversary of its independence on Tuesday, with a scaled-back celebration due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the country.

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The celebration, hosted in the country's administration center of Putrajaya, was held under the new normal circumstances for the second year with various programs and a small scale parade of the armed forces and civil service branches.

The program was held in compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) with the physical presence of a limited number of viewers, while others could watch them on television or virtually.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was undergoing self quarantine after being in close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual, joined the celebration virtually.

In his address to the nation on Monday, Ismail Sabri called on his countrymen to remember that the country faced many challenges to achieve independence and build itself up afterwards, urging them not to lose hope.

"The challenge that we are facing today has never been experienced by leaders and previous governments. Now we are faced with several simultaneous challenges namely disease outbreaks and economic turmoil. Where, it threatens the political stability of our country and the whole world," he said.

He also urged Malaysians to cooperate in the country's national vaccination drive to help the country return to normalcy.

"This success will pave the way for economic recovery in this country and allow us to live in the new normal. The economy should be restored, the well-being of the people should be improved, investor confidence should return," he said.