A spectacular skydiving display featuring a giant Jalur Gemilang measuring 4m by 6m and weighing eight kilogrammes is set to earn a place in the Malaysia Book of Records after captivating more than 20,000 spectators during Pahang’s 69th National Day celebration.
The patriotic stunt involved 18 personnel from the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) PASKAU special forces, who were flown aboard two AW139 helicopters from No. 3 Squadron at Butterworth Air Base before jumping from an altitude of 6,000 feet.
The jump was led by PASKAU Commanding Officer Colonel Muhammad Mustafa Omar (RMAF), together with 17 other parachutists in a Canopy Formation Skydive (CFS).
During the display, the giant Jalur Gemilang was deployed at 4,000 feet by Air Sergeant Muhamad Firdaus Minhat, who has completed 553 parachute jumps.
The flag was then carried by the parachutists as they descended at a speed of about 40 kilometres per hour before being flown in pairs and joined together in the air at an altitude of 1,000 feet.
The sight of the massive national flag descending from the sky became one of the highlights of the celebration, drawing cheers from thousands of spectators and adding to the patriotic atmosphere.
The state-level celebration at the Kuantan City Council (MBK) Field 4 was also attended by the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and Tengku Ampuan Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Also in attendance was the Tengku Mahkota Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, while Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and his wife, Datin Seri Burhah Mohamed, joined state government leaders at the event.
Al-Sultan Abdullah later inspected the Main Guard of Honour before witnessing a parade involving 150 contingents, comprising 87 marching contingents and 63 vehicle contingents.
The ceremony continued with the singing of Negaraku, the recitation of the pledge and seven rounds of the Merdeka declaration, which were joined by the crowd.
Apart from the PASKAU skydiving performance, Kuantan’s skies also became a showcase for the RMAF, with six Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets from No. 12 Squadron at Gong Kedak Air Base carrying out a flypast over the city.
The aerial display highlighted various capabilities of the fighter aircraft, including air defence, ground and maritime attack, close air support, precision bombing and electronic warfare operations.
The celebrations also featured silat performances, patriotic dances, unarmed combat demonstrations, as well as marching and vehicle parades.
Among the other attractions were decorated vehicle floats from MBK, Tourism Pahang and the Pahang State Development Office (SDO), a Young Firefighters performance and a parade showcasing military ground assets.
Overall, the celebration involved 3,373 participants in marching contingents and 609 vehicles, including seven marching bands, during the more than two-hour event.
