PUTRAJAYA: It was precision work, despite strong winds and morning rain, by six parachutists taking part in today’s National Day parade at Dataran Putrajaya here as they landed in front of the royal box.
The six parachutists comprising officers and members of the Royal Malaysia Police’s elite squad, the VAT 69 Commando Unit, involved the acrobatic team that mesmerised more than 100,000 visitors at Dataran Putrajaya.
“Alhamdullillah, we are feeling happy and proud that were able to perform and present, and then land right in front of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah),” said a member of VAT 69 Commando Unit, Sergeant Shahril Afiza Zahari, one of the parachutists.
“All the parachutists landed safely without incident or sustained injuries when we landed in the ‘royal box’, he told Bernama today.
Shahril Afiza said a 10-day intensive training was provided in Taiping, Perak to the parachutists and it bore fruit today.
“Even though the road surface was slippery, we had to expertly control the parachute rope so that it did not get knotted when landing. The wind above was also quite strong, around 12 knots, but everything went smoothly,” he said.
Meanwhile, another VAT 69 Commando, Corporal M. Pragash said the change in winds on the field made the landing not so smooth.
“Although our landing was not so smooth, we were still within the designated radius. Only the wind changed and the weather was a bit humid while we were in the air.
“I am happy to be able to perform the jump with precision after being given such an opportunity on a big day like this (National Day 2023),” he said.
Pragash added that normally when landing there should be some wind to play a part in ensuring a smooth landing. – Bernama
