KUCHING: The state-level National Day celebration will be held on a smaller scale this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       Minister in charge Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the celebration would take place in a hybrid format at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex on Aug 31 with a limited number of guests.“It will be limited to 100 people in compliance with the standard operating procedure,” he told a press conference at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.

       Karim said Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Raghad Kurdi Taib would be the guests of honour, along with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and state Cabinet members.

       The celebration’s highlights will include a musical titled Semangat Anak Sarawak, inspired by the true story of the Sarawak Rangers during the Emergency.

       There will also be a special performance depicting the hard work of Covid-19 frontliners and a documentary on the road to independence from Sarawak’s perspective.