Prime Minister Najib Razak said the the nation’s 60th independence celebration at Dataran Merdeka recalled the historic moment in 1957, complete with procession and presentation “as if we were at the Merdeka Stadium with the first cry of Merdeka which echoed over the land of the country.”

The prime minister, in the latest posting entitled ‘Sacrifice and Success’ in his blog said the success enjoyed by Malaysians was the result of sacrifice and gave three recent important incidents, namely the 29th SEA Games 2017, National Day and Hari Raya Aidiladha.

“The first happiness was when we were crowned overall champions in the 29th SEA Games with the gold medal collection exceeding target.

“In fact, we succeeded in organising and hosting a great SEA Games, especially in the opening and closing ceremonies which in my observation, is of world standard.

“Congratulations to all athletes for their outstanding performances, whether they won gold, silver, bronze or none, all of them should be applauded and celebrated for their commitment and spirit of #Rising Together.

Sacrifice and success complement one another, and one cannot happen without the other, said Najib.

“I am confident, what was displayed at the SEA Games, our future will be bright, indeed,” he said.