Humble sarong unites Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of Malaysians celebrated the roots of their multi-ethnic identities in style by dressing up with the most basic item that can be found in any local household – the sarong.

With the spirit of Malaysia Day at the forefront, Locco, an NGO, used the sarong as a tool to bring together Malaysians of different ages and cultural backgrounds through the organisation of the Keretapi Sarong 2023 (KS2023) flash mob yesterday.

Participants of the flash mob began gathering at the Bandar Utama MRT station as early as 6am as activities began at around 7am. Aside from Bandar Utama, other gathering points include train stations such as Putrajaya Sentral, Subang Jaya, Ampang, Gombak, Kajang, and KL Sentral, before collectively heading to Dataran Merdeka here.

This time around, aside from the sarong, participants were also seen donning the traditional attire of ethnic groups such as the Iban, Kadazan, and Peranakan Chinese, also known as Baba Nyonya.

The atmosphere was enlivened with iconic songs that ignite the spirit of patriotism such as Tanah Pusaka, Standing in the Eyes of the World, and Saya Anak Malaysia, coupled with traditional dance performances and colourful decorations had participants and bystanders tapping their feet or singing along. The most eye-catching performance at the Bandar Utama MRT station was the energetic dikir barat.

While some are familiar with the concept behind Keretapi Sarong, which made its debut in 2012, others were having their maiden dose of the fun.

Izzati Yunus, 28, said her morning began early as she was looking forward to ironing her sarong and baju kurung.

“I heard about Keretapi Sarong last year and I made plans with a friend to join it this year,” she said when met at the Bandar Utama station in Petaling Jaya.

At the Bandar Utama station alone, at least 2,000 KS2023 participants and crew members were present, said a Rapid Rail officer on duty there.

After about two hours of celebrating there, the group made its way to the heart of Kuala Lumpur, where thousands more were seen mingling, singing, dancing and eating their favourite Malaysian food from the food trucks there.

According to an estimate by the organiser, over 10,000 people were present at Dataran Merdeka, the main location of the event.

Programme director Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman told the crowd at Dataran Merdeka that another flashmob to celebrate a Malaysian tradition is coming next month.

“This time, only for the ladies. We will be doing ‘Flashmob Lenggang Kebaya’. We will announce the date later but it is happening next month!” he said.

Aside from the Klang Valley, similar events also took place simultaneously in major cities like Johor Baru (along Sungai Segget), Ipoh (train station) and Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu Cultural Village), as well as in London’s Battersea Power Station.

Since 2012, the Keretapi Sarong programme has involved thousands of participants using public transport while wearing a sarong or batik outfit or stickers that symbolise Malaysia’s multiracial and cultural heritage.