ROMPIN: A group of divers made history when they placed a giant Jalur Gemilang on the seabed off Kampung Salang,Pulau Tioman in conjunction with the 57th Merdeka celebration on Sunday.
The 11.16m by 6.25m flag was "hoisted" under the water by the members of Universiti Teknologi Mara GPMS Alumni Association (Pagu) under the Tioman Merdeka Dive 2014 (TMD2014) programme.
The feat had enabled them to enter the Malaysia Book of Records.
Programme director Mohd Sabaruddin Daud said the idea to create the record came after TMD2013 at the same venue last year.
"Merdeka is a special day that should be appreciated and celebrated by all Malaysians in their own ways.
"For Pagu, we want to bring the message to the people of various backgrounds by creating the new record," he said after receiving the certificate from Malaysia Book of Records representative Zulhilmi Md Zain on Sunday.
At the same time, Sabaruddin said the team also took the opportunity to celebrate Merdeka with the villagers and tourists on the island,
"Tourists also took the opportunity to pose with the Jalur Gemilang under the water," he said adding that the flag was later brought onto the land as not to affect the delicate marine life .
A total of 82 Pagu members joined the programme but only 57 of them were involved in bringing the flag into the water, as to signify the 57th year of independence.
He said Pagu members also helped clean the beach throughout the three-day programme.