SEA Games: Selamat Datang! Malaysia welcomes neighbours in glitzy opening ceremony

KUALA LUMPUR – From spectacular light shows, to well-choreographed music and dance performances, to a stunning display of fireworks, Malaysia pulled out all the stops to welcome their Asean neighbours to the country for the 29th South-East Asian (SEA) Games in a glitzy opening ceremony at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Saturday night (Aug 19).

In front of over 80,000 spectators, which included Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak as well as members of the Malaysian royalty, the overarching theme of ‘Friendship and Sportsmanship’ was evident throughout the two-hour long spectacle.

“Let us rise together as a region, to celebrate the bonds that unite us, the spirits which lifts our athletes to go faster, higher and stronger, and the confidence of building brighter days ahead for our community in fulfilling the dreams of our forefathers that the goal of South-East Asia is greater than the sum of our parts,” Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also the chairman of the 29th SEA Games organising committee said in his speech. 

“Please enjoy your stay in Malaysia, and let us all compete with the dignity and honour that these Games deserve.”

The ceremony kicked off with a blast, literally, as a short but impressive pyrotechnic show lit up the stadium and drew loud, excited cheers from the hyped-up crowd.

That was the cue for a procession carrying 320 Malaysian flags – representing the country’s 32 million population – to begin their march around the stadium. 

This was followed by a flag parade of all 11 participating Asean nations, with the Malaysian flag leading its vanguard.

The introduction of the Games mascot, Rimau, was up next, with the Malayan Tiger making its grand entrance by ‘flying’ – through the use of cables – from the sky right into the middle of the stadium.

The ceremonial march past then began with Brunei leading the procession, while Singapore’s 230-strong contingent of athletes and officials was headed by flag-bearer and national shooter Jasmine Ser.

The largest cheers from the crowd was of course reserved for the host nation’s athlete contingent, which was the last to march out, and had three world champions – cyclist Azizulhasni Awang, diver Cheong Jun Hoong and silat exponent Al-Jufferi Jamari – as their flag bearers. 

Malaysian singer Dayang Nurfaizah then took centre stage to sing the Games’ theme song Bangkit Bersama, which was composed by Datuk Ramli MS and had its lyrics based on this year’s event slogan of ‘Rising Together’.

At the end of the song, the SEA Games and Federation flags were then raised by the Royal Malaysian Navy after it was passed down to them by various Malaysian sporting legends such as swimmer Nurul Huda Abdullah, a 22-time SEA Games gold medallist, and former Asian No 1 bowler Shalin Zulkifli.

Following speeches by the SEA Games federation president Tan Sri Tunku Imran and Mr Khairy, the Games was officially declared open by the King of Malaysia Sultan Muhammad V to yet another display of fireworks.

Malaysian high jumper Nauraj Singh Randhawa then led the entire athlete contingent in taking the athletes’ oath.

The crowd was then treated to an elaborate and visually exquisite 20-minute long performance which not only illustrated Malaysia’s history and diversity, but also paid homage to the cultures of every participating country.

As the ceremony neared its conclusion, the SEA Games torch was brought into the stadium and passed down to the Games cauldron by various Malaysian athletes, past and present.

The penultimate torch bearer was Olympic silver medallist Pandelela Rinong, who passed the torch to fellow diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri to light the cauldron.

As the cauldron was lit, so too was the Bukit Jalil Stadium, as fireworks filled the night sky to mark the conclusion of the ceremony.

This year’s Games, which kicked-off its first event on Aug 14, will end with a closing ceremony on Aug 30.