It was Merdeka Day, August 31st, a memorable day for Malaysians. It was to
commemorate our Independence Day. The whole city was lit up, with colored
lights illuminating the tall buildings. Even trees were sparkling in the
darkness of the night. Red, blue, orange and green lights had turned the
city into a fairyland.
We took a drive round the city of Kuala Lumpur and watched the numerous
lights on tall buildings. Flags and bunting
added gaiety and colors to the place. Crowds of Malaysians were
thronging the streets, dressed gaily in
their best - colorful 'sarungs', 'bajus', 'sarees' and 'cheongsams',
representing a beautiful picture of Malaysia, the land of many races.
There were traffic jams all over the city and traffic police officers
were kept busy directing the traffic. People were swarming the Lake Gardens
to watch the fireworks display. Beautiful 'flowers' burst in the night sky,
sending out luminous red, pink, blue, orange, purple and yellow sprays of
sparks. The spectators were obviously enthralled, judging from their
clapping and cheering. It was a scene of gaiety and merriment.
On a stage in the open theatre, musicians, dancers, comedians and popular
local artistes entertained huge crowds with their songs, sketches and jokes.
No one minded a slight drizzle even. The celebration continued till well
past mid-night and finally, the people dispersed and went home tired but
happy. Another Merdeka Day had come and gone and the night was one for the
national album. |