{
  "id": 4139670,
  "title": "National Day rehearsal draws thousands to Dataran Putrajaya",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/national-day-rehearsal-draws-thousands-to-dataran-putrajaya",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-29T07:32:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/08/1521275/national-day-rehearsal-draws-thousands-dataran-putrajaya"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PUTRAJAYA - Dataran Putrajaya was bustling with activity as thousands gathered for a full rehearsal of the upcoming 2026 National Day celebrations. The event began at 8am and featured uniformed contingents, the national flag Jalur Gemilang, and the roar of national assets.\n\nCorporate and government-linked companies (GLCs) joined in, along with colorful special performances. Patriotic songs and drum performances set the mood at the Gema Inovasi Madani special event. Thousands had already arrived by 6am, ready to witness the rehearsal, which concluded at 10am.\n\nNurmaizatul Fatihah Hanif, a mother of three from Kajang, Selangor, brought her children to support her younger sibling, a student at Universiti Pertahanan Malaysia who participated in the giant flag procession. She expressed her excitement about witnessing the parade in person for the first time, as they had only seen it on television before.\n\nMerdeka Day was described as an exciting occasion, and watching the parade was something the family looked forward to. Nur Hafizza Mohd Shukri, a 24-year-old, stated that the aerial display and K9 unit performance had inspired her to attend the main celebration on August 31. She plans to arrive early to avoid missing any of the main events, hoping for a lively celebration with cooler weather and no rain.",
  "summary": "PUTRAJAYA: Dataran Putrajaya came alive today with uniformed contingents, the Jalur Gemilang and the roar of national assets during the full rehearsal for the 2026 National Day celebrations.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "General : 2026 National Day Celebrations At Dataran Putrajaya To Proceed As Planned - Fahmi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/general-2026-national-day-celebrations-at-dataran-putrajaya-to",
        "published": "2026-08-29T05:15:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Borneo Post Online",
        "title": "2026 National Day celebrations at Dataran Putrajaya to proceed as planned",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/2026-national-day-celebrations-at-dataran-putrajaya-to-proceed-as",
        "published": "2026-08-29T06:03:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Going to Dataran Putrajaya for National Day celebrations? Free water taxis are available from 5am on Aug 31",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/going-to-dataran-putrajaya-for-national-day-celebrations-free-water",
        "published": "2026-08-29T06:34:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "2,354 policemen deployed to ensure smooth National Day celebrations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/2-354-policemen-deployed-to-ensure-smooth-national-day-celebrations",
        "published": "2026-08-29T07:14:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}