Penang Welcomes the Asean Navies’ City Parade After 35 Years

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

The morning of 17 August 2025 unfolded with pageantry and purpose. After 35 years, the Asean Navies’ City Parade (ANCP) returned to Penang and I had the honour of taking part as a member of the State Chinese (Penang) Association (SCPA).

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Liz Yeap

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Liz Yeap

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Our entourage of 34 strong turned heads along Padang Kota Lama. The ladies were radiant in colourful sarong kebayas, complete with matching umbrellas. The men, myself included, were clad in batik shirts. Twelve members rode on six trishaws, adding a distinctly Penang flavour to the procession. Walking with them filled me with gratitude, knowing that SCPA represented a vibrant thread in Penang’s rich, multi-cultural heritage.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

Ten naval ships from ASEAN countries stood majestically offshore, while the Royal Malaysian Navy impressed the crowd with combat boat manoeuvres, a helicopter fly-past and a silent drill that drew gasps of admiration.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

After the parade, we were invited to step aboard Kapal Diraja Lekiu (FFG 30). Crossing the gangway, I entered the cool steel world of one of Malaysia’s most formidable warships.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

I noticed that everything on deck was a shade of grey, the universal colour of navies around the world. Grey may seem austere, even plain-looking, but it carries great purpose. At sea, it blends with the horizon, masking the ship’s silhouette. It hides the wear of salt and storms as well. Standing there, I realised that Penang celebrates in colour, yet the peace that allows us to do so is guarded in shades of grey. It struck me how often we take the quiet guardians for granted because they do not demand our attention.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

The ship’s bell on KD Lekiu — used to mark time, sound alarms, and today uphold naval traditions — remains "the soul of the ship", carrying her name and spirit wherever she sails.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Liz Yeap

KD Lekiu, built in Glasgow and commissioned in 1999, is a guided-missile frigate of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Sleek and powerful, she bristles with technology: a Bofors naval gun at the bow, missile launchers, Exocet anti-ship systems, torpedo tubes and even a Super Lynx 300 helicopter in her hangar. Walking her decks, I could not help but imagine the countless miles she has sailed—from multinational exercises like RIMPAC in Hawaii, to search missions such as MH370, and anti-piracy patrols in faraway seas.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Yet despite her years, KD Lekiu remains very much modern. In 2018, a modernisation programme began to replace her aging combat systems with the locally-developed Vibrant 01 CMS (Naval News, LIMA 2019). More recently, in January 2025, the Navy confirmed plans to upgrade her Exocet MM40 Block 2 missiles with the modern Naval Strike Missile (NSM) (Asia Pacific Defense Journal). This ensures the ship remains armed with current and capable technology, allowing her to continue serving effectively in today’s maritime environment.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah & Liz Yeap

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah

Back on Swettenham Pier, the morning lingered in my mind. I had walked alongside my SCPA family, celebrating Penang’s cultural soul, and later stood on the deck of KD Lekiu, a symbol of Malaysia’s strength and presence on the world’s oceans. Penang, like Malaysia itself, is a meeting point of heritage and modernity, colour and steel, culture and courage. The peace and stability we enjoy today is indeed a gift, safeguarded daily by the brave men and women across ASEAN who stand watch over our seas and our future.

Asean Navies’ City Parade © Adrian Cheah & Liz Yeap

Asean Navies’ City Parade © SCPA Members

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Written by Adrian Cheah.
Photographed by Adrian Cheah, Liz Yeap and SCPA members
© All rights reserved
17 August 2025