National Day: Human Graphic Performance Set To Wow Crowd At Dataran Putrajaya

SHAH ALAM, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- A captivating human graphic performance, combined with choir elements, is set to be one of the show-stopping highlights at the National Day celebration at Dataran Putrajaya on Aug 31.

The performance, featuring 12 unity and harmony-themed songs, will be delivered by 2,000 Form One to Form Four students representing 50 secondary schools across Selangor.

Choir conductor Ong Zen Kai said the new element was not merely for entertainment but carried a message of unity and harmony in the context of Malaysia’s multi-racial society.

He said the four-part vocal harmony, which formed the essence of choral singing and the core of the performance, represented unity that could resonate with every member of the audience.

“Each voice symbolises a race and just as harmony creates music, our country will prosper if we unite, with the benefits shared by all the people.

“Participants have been training since last July, and their commitment indirectly reflects their patriotism and love for the country,” he said when met during central training at the KSL Esplanade Hotel near here recently.

Ong said he had conducted research and divided the participants into four groups according to their vocal strengths to produce a more impressive performance.

Although he was initially doubtful about conducting 2,000 students singing together, the teacher at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Serdang Baru 1 said his confidence grew after witnessing their determination during several joint training sessions.

“Usually, I handle only 30 to 40 students at school, but the spirit of Malaysia is evident in how each participant gave their best and united to deliver a meaningful singing performance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Saujana Putra student Nik Alesya Dania Zaidi said she was thrilled to collaborate with participants from across Selangor for the highly anticipated National Day performance.

The Form Three student said she felt lucky to be selected after passing the interview and screening conducted by the Selangor State Education Department, allowing her to experience the celebration firsthand rather than merely watching it on television as in previous years.

“To be honest, being among 2,000 participants really boosted my spirit to express my love for the country and celebrate independence through performances and singing with other students,” she said.

Muhammad Arif Naqib Khairul Kamal, 15, from SMK Pandan Jaya, said the performance by the human graphic team had deepened his appreciation of independence, as participants were trained to understand every verse of the lyrics.

“I have performed these songs before, but this time it was different. The voices of 2,000 students singing together gave us goosebumps as participants, and surely also for the audience.

“I believe this feeling comes from memorising every line of the lyrics and understanding the message we want to convey, along with the movements and props such as fans, flags and umbrellas,” he said.

The human graphic team, led by head coach Ahmad Hafiz Awaludin, has been training eight hours a day from Monday to Thursday for the past two months.

The team will showcase a variety of movements through 12 songs, including a medley of Wau Bulan, Bapak Mek Datang, Dia Datang and Sayang Kinabalu, and will also accompany Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza in performing the celebration theme song.

Themed “Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni”, this year’s National Day celebration will be held at Dataran Putrajaya, with Malaysia Day to follow in Penang on Sept 16.

--BERNAMA