LONDON: Twelve members of the Royal Malay Regiment (RMR) will be among thousands of armed forces personnel from Commonwealth countries taking part in the coronation of King Charles III today.
Led by Major Nurul Fauzan Md Sabri, the soldiers, who arrived on April 27, have taken part in seven rehearsals with soldiers from 38 Commonwealth countries in Oldham, Sandhurst and Pirbright, among others, and in an oversight rehearsal from Waterloo to Buckingham Palace.
"As representatives of the Malaysian armed forces, we feel very proud and privileged to be invited by the British government to represent our country in King Charles III's coronation parade tomorrow (today)," said Nurul Fauzan after a rehearsal at the Army Training Centre in Pirbright, Surrey.
Soldiers from the first battalion of the RMR, who rehearsed in camouflage uniform, were presented with a token of appreciation by the Defence Ministry's defence services secretary, Major-General Eldon Millar.
On the coronation day, the soldiers will be in their ceremonial attire of baju Melayu, white tunics and trousers with gold and green brocade samping.
The RMR's participation in the coronation parade is not the first, as they have taken part in marches and public duties in the United Kingdom.
Last year, a contingent of two officers and nine soldiers from the RMR was among delegations from 21 Commonwealth countries that took part in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant celebrating the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The first time members of the RMR marched along the route from the Wellington Barracks to Buckingham Palace was in 2008 when they were invited to perform public duties at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London for a month.
The Malaysian contingent will also attend a reception at Windsor Castle tomorrow.
Their participation has allowed them to mingle with soldiers from other Commonwealth countries such as Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Lesotho, the Maldives, Namibia and New Zealand.
Thousands of ceremonial troops have been rehearsing ahead of the king's coronation, bringing together the largest parade of military personnel since Winston Churchill's funeral.
On Sunday, organisers at RAF Odiham in Hampshire recreated the procession route with a pair of rugby posts acting as Buckingham Palace, a minibus standing in for the royal Gold State Coach and a set of cones replacing Admiralty Arch at the entrance to the Mall.
The route will be a quarter of the length of the late Queen's grand procession in 1953.
