Bung Moktar attending the virtual meeting on Tuesday.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has once again been given the honour to host the annual Malaysia Day celebration.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said the celebration would take place at the Sabah International Convention Center (SICC) on the night of September 16.
Bung Moktar said the matter was discussed at the Malaysia Day celebration main organising committee meeting on Tuesday which was held virtually and co-chaired by Multimedia and Communications Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
He said the State Government is grateful and appreciates the Federal Government’s respect and trust given to Sabah to once again organize this celebration.
According to Bung, who is also the co-chairman of the Malaysia Day Organizing Committee at the state level, the implementing committee here has had a series of meetings with several relevant departments and agencies.
“This is to ensure the smooth implementation of the celebration,” he said when met after the virtual meeting at the Sabah Umno building here.
“However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the celebration would be held with strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It will take place in a closed venue with limited attendance and social distancing.
“We estimate to have 500 attendees but the number will depend on the situation in the state then,” he stressed.
The Works Minister said that in line with this year’s theme, ‘Malaysia Prihatin’, there will be a special performance by the Sabah Cultural Board calling all Malaysians to unite and fight together against the pandemic.
“We hope that the Malaysia Day celebration will not only inject the patriotic spirit among Malaysians, especially the younger generation, it will also form a united and harmonious nation,” he said.
Touching on the content of the program, Bung Moktar disclosed that various events have been lined up including a Tahlil ceremony, choir performance, Malaysia Day cake cutting ceremony and. montage screening.