It was probably the highlight of the celebration for many of us, watching colourfully dressed people marching and performing in front of the crowd.

This year, however, there's not going to be any parades, so Merdeka Day is definitely going to be a lot duller.

Pembarisan sambutan Hari Kemerdekaan tiada kerana ia akan melibatkan ramai orang pada sambutan itu.#NormalBaharu #DisiplinMalaysia #HapusCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/DAQaKIhuzC— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) July 8, 2020

No thanks to COVID-19

The reason for the cancellation is, of course, the pandemic that has pretty much taken the lives and joy of many.

Senior Minsiter Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, during a press conference, confirmed that there will be no Merdeka Day parade this year, but other activities that do not involve large crowd will still be held.

"So far, no marches. Because, if we look at it, it involves large gathering. I think in the thousands.

"There will be no social distancing not only among the participants, but also those invited to watch. It may be easy to control the VVIP and special areas but it'll be hard to control the public," he said, answering a question by a reporter.

He said that Merdeka Day celebrations is not just about the parade but also involves other programmes as well.

Only events that involves a crowd is stopped for now, he clarified.

“Several of these programmes will take place leading up to August 31, and some after that. Any further changes to the details will be announced.

“Should the ministerial meeting decide to hold other programmes, they too will be announced once the relevant standard operating procedures have been tabled and finalised,”he said.

The announcement, although unwelcome, is not entirely unexpected.