Malaysia, Aug 31: Malaysia today celebrated its 46th national day with a massive parade, fireworks and flowing tributes to Prime Minister Mahthir Mohamad, who retires in two months after 22 years in power. Officials estimated more than 300,000 people joined Mahathir and other government leaders in Putrajaya, the administrative capital, to witness this Southeast Asian country's most lavish national day parade since achieving independence from Britain in 1957.

"We came here today to show we appreciate Dr Mahathir and everything he has done for Malaysians,'' said Harun Abdul Ghani, 33, waving a small flag with his wife and two sons in Putrajaya, just south of Kuala Lumpur.

Floats rolled through a boulevard to depict Malaysia's development and successes since Mahathir came to power in 1981. Schoolchildren performed patriotic songs while military jets and helicopters roared overhead.
Mahathir's hand-picked successor, deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is scheduled to become prime minister in November and will face a formidable task in making his own mark in this country of 24 million people.


Mahathir, Asia's longest-serving elected leader, nurtured Malaysia's rise from a tin- and rubber-producing backwater into one of the region's wealthiest countries, with a vibrant manufacturing sector and a high-rise economic capital that showcases the world's tallest buildings.
Bureau Report