Don’t believe him? From a modest 1,500 participants in 2017, the Malaysia Day “flash mob”, organised by community group Locco (Local Companion), has grown exponentially, with an estimated 8,000 participants expected this year! All for the love of sarong.
“There’s no big celebration or parades in KL on Malaysia Day, unlike Hari Merdeka. We wanted to do something to celebrate our Malaysianness.
“We figured what better symbol of unity than the sarong to rally fellow Malaysians and have a bit of fun. Everyone wears the sarong, regardless of your race and ethnicity,” said Ridzwan, 33.
Keretapi Sarong 2023, themed “Empowering Unity Through Malaysians’ Ethnicities”, will take place across various cities and stations including Putrajaya Sentral (KLIA Transit), Subang Jaya (LRT), Bandar Utama (MRT), Ampang (LRT), Gombak (LRT), Kajang (MRT), and KL Sentral (LRT).
“Keretapi Sarong is not just a flash mob where people have fun. People are willing to wake up early in the morning, on a public holiday, to attend it. That just shows how committed people are to showcase their Malaysian pride,” said Ridzwan, an engineer by profession.
If you’ve never been to the annual Keretapi Sarong event, which is modelled after the “No Pants Subway” movement in New York, it’s pretty fuss free.
Put on your best sarong-forward attire (be creative), show up at the designated train stations at 8.30am, board the train with other participants, and travel to Dataran Merdeka, the event’s endpoint.
A string of activities is planned for you at Dataran Merdeka – traditional dances, music, and storytelling sessions, a sarong-tying workshop and over 20 traditional games to highlight and celebrate Malaysia’s multicultural identity.
The celebration will end with Keretapi Sarong’s signature joget lambak, a freestyle communal dance.
Don’t worry if you don’t have friends to go with. Locco’s Geng Takda Geng initiative aims to link solo participants at the designated stations so that everyone can travel in a group. So far, 1,300 people have signed up for Geng Takda Geng.
This year’s flash mob will also take place in Johor Bahru (along Sungai Segget), Ipoh (Station KTMB Ipoh), and Kuala Terengganu (Kampung Budaya Terengganu), as well as in London, United Kingdom (Battersea Power Station as an endpoint).
The roots of Locco’s efforts trace back to 2012 when the celebration was in the hands of another group of friends known as Random Alphabets. Locco then decided to carry the torch forward with a simple message of unity and an appreciation for sarong and public transportation
For Ridzwan, the highlight of Keretapi Sarong is seeing people donning their best and most creative sarong outfits.
Ridzwan recalled a man dressed in a sarong and a tank top with a pail over his head, a comical take on a father who didn’t have time to get ready. In 2019, an elderly couple came in their traditional wedding outfit to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
“We also see this elderly aunty every year who brings her daughter and her granddaughter to Keretapi Sarong. For us, it’s very heartwarming to see people bringing their whole family to this event,” Ridzwan said.
This year, more than 20 groups will join the flash mob, including Baba Nyonya Selangor, United Malaysia Hindu Voice, Mandarin Jer, Anak Teater Malaysia, Malaysia Fashion Creative Award, KL Sketch Nation, Street Meet, UITM Shah Alam, and DBP.
“We hope that through this event, people will realise Malaysia is a much more beautiful country than what we perceive it to be. It’s a great place to make new friends, connect with fellow Malaysians and celebrate our spirit of unity,” Ridzwan concluded.
Keretapi Sarong is a collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture; Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Keseniaan Negara; and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.
For more information, visit the Locco website.