National Day secretariat: Automatic invitations for ex-PMs stopped since 2018
The National Day Celebration 2026 Secretariat clarified that official invitations to National Day celebrations have not been automatically sent to former prime ministers since 2018. This follows questions about former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad's attendance at the recent celebration at Dataran Putrajaya. The secretariat also confirmed that Dr Mahathir's application for the Overseas Rest Facility was approved by the Prime Minister.