Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) received its first two Merdeka babies right after the clock struck twelve to rein in the historic occasion.

Rayyan Al-Fattah came into the world at 12.01am, weighing 2.70 kg, as the eldest child of Siti Nor Hidayah Abdullah, 27, and Ray Jimson, 30.

"Although my husband could not be present to see our son's birth, alhamdulillah, everything is normal and safe. But my joy is really indescribable," Nor Hidayah told reporters at the maternity ward here today.

The first-time mother and private company executive said she and Ray, both from Sarawak married two years ago.

"Our baby's due date is actually Sept 28 but he chose to arrive on this auspicious day," said Nor Hidayah, adding that her husband, a lorry driver was on the way from Sarawak to be with her and their son.

First-time parents Shahruddin Ismail, 25 and Nurul Jannah Hairuddin, 22, were ecstatic when their daughter whom they have yet to name, came into the world, not on Sept 2 as due, but on National Day.

The couple's bundle of joy arrived at 12.10 am, weighing 2.60 kg.

"I thought my wife would just be sitting at the ward awaiting the day. It never crossed our minds that our daughter might arrive earlier, and on Merdeka Day!" he said, visibly over the moon.

Meanwhile, Health Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya visited the hospital's maternity ward yesterday and presented hampers to the would-be mothers in conjunction with National Day.

He said in his speech to welcome the 'merdeka babies', that the programme initiated by the association, Persatuan Warisan Anak Merdeka, and KLH's Obstetrics & Gynaecology department 13 years ago had become an annual tradition.

"There are now more than 50,000 merdeka babies in the membership of the association," he said.