PUTRAJAYA, Aug 28 — The rhythms of the rebana ubi, 24-season drums, thavil, gendang pampat, as well as gongs and kulintangan will reverberate in unison to kick off the 2026 National Day celebrations at Dataran Putrajaya on August 31.

National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) director-general Mohd Amran Mohd Haris said the combination of musical instruments representing the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sarawak and Sabah communities will be showcased in a new opening segment, “Gema Inovasi Madani” of this year’s celebrations, themed “Malaysia Madani: Kesejahteraan Dinikmati”.

“In previous years, National Day celebrations featured more patriotic and disciplined performances. This year, we are incorporating more relaxed cultural arts elements while retaining strong messages of patriotism and love for the country.

“We want patriotism to go hand in hand with efforts to preserve our cultural heritage, particularly among the younger generation,” he told Bernama, adding that the drum performance would involve about 1,900 participants, including 150 main performers supported by 1,500 students from 36 schools through a human formation display.

The colourful human formation display will also convey messages of unity, racial diversity and patriotism, making it one of the main attractions presented in the centre of the royal stage area.

Mohd Amran also said about 80 per cent of the nearly 11,000 participants in this year’s celebrations comprised young people, whose commitment was evident through more than two months of training, including waking as early as 4 am and undergoing intensive rehearsals while maintaining discipline.

“The participation of nearly 11,000 people sends a clear message that the younger generation still possesses a strong patriotic spirit.

“They are not merely participating, but are demonstrating cooperation, discipline and pride in being directly involved in the National Day celebrations,” he said.

He said the celebrations would conclude with the “Rentak Madani: Paluan Tradisi” segment, featuring a modern and energetic concept with 150 main drummers, 700 dancers and human formation performers.

Apart from cultural performances, two new contingents will participate in this year’s parade, namely the Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) and the Johor Military Force (JMF), while 11 floats from government agencies and the private will be featured this year compared to seven last year.

Mohd Amran said preparations for the celebrations were now 90 per cent complete, with venue, logistics and programme preparations almost finalised.

A full rehearsal is scheduled for tomorrow to fine-tune the arrangements and movements of all contingents ahead of the celebration on the morning of August 31.

Although this year’s celebration would be shorter, essential elements such as the raising of the Jalur Gemilang, recitation of the Rukun Negara pledge and performance of the theme song would remain, he added.

“We only need to ensure that every performance, contingent and movement takes place according to schedule. At this point, only the final touches remain,” he said. — Bernama