KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — More than 10,000 people, of various races and ages, participated in the Keretapi Sarong 2023 (KS 2023), which aims to instil the spirit of love for the country and its diversity, in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebration, today.

They proved that there is nothing shameful in donning traditional attire, complete with various ethnic ornaments, and some are proudly clad in batik sarong and ‘kain pelekat’, which symbolise the country’s culture and heritage.

It was like a trip down memory lane as KS 2023, themed ‘Ethnicity and Unity’, was also jazzed up with a sarong fashion show, a flash mob and joget lambak, complete with the 60s and 70s tunes filling the air.

The KS 2023 director, Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman, said that the programme successfully achieved its main objective, to see Malaysians in ethnic attire travelling on public transport while promoting the traditional sarongs.

"I am wearing the traditional attire of the Bidayuh ethnic group as a sign of support, and we also saw many other friends from various races taking part in KS 2023,” he told Bernama, here, today.

The Keretapi Sarong was first introduced by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Random Alphabet, in 2012 before being taken over by Locco in 2017, involving thousands of participants travelling on public transport wearing either batik or pelikat sarongs as the main uniform.

This year, KS 2023 commenced simultaneously from seven stations, namely KL Sentral Light Rail Transit (LRT), Gombak LRT, Ampang LRT, Subang Jaya LRT, Kajang Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Bandar Utama MRT and KLIA Transit, before gathering at Dataran Merdeka.

Similar events also took place simultaneously in major cities such as Johor Bahru (along Sungai Segget), Ipoh Railway Station (KTMB Ipoh) and Kuala Terengganu (Terengganu Cultural Village), as well as in London, United Kingdom (Battersea Power Station).

To further enliven the atmosphere, various patriotic and traditional songs were also being played, including ‘Negaraku’, ‘Jalur Gemilang’, ‘Gemuruh’, ‘Standing In The Eyes Of The World’, Rasa Sayang’, ‘Dikir Puteri’, Enjit Enjit Semut’, ‘Lemak Manis’, ‘Can Mali Can’ and ‘Anak Tupai’.

A KS 2023 participant, Izat Izhar, 28, who wears traditional clothes from the Kadazan Dusun ethnic group, feels that the programme not only instils patriotic spirit, but also indirectly introduces various ethnic groups in Malaysia via traditional attire.

"This is my first time participating and I’m very excited. We gathered, marched and sang together while showcasing our traditional attire, making the atmosphere lively and vibrant,” said Izat, who drove from Kuantan, Pahang, to Kajang just to participate in KS 2023.

Alpasusanti Ismail, 43, from Bangi, Selangor, described the programme as the symbol of unity among various races, as it was celebrated in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2023.

"I came to this event as a ‘lone ranger’, but when I arrived, I didn’t feel alone any more; everyone was so friendly, it was like meeting old friends. It was really fun, and given a chance, I will participate again next year,” she said.

In Ipoh, a total of 500 participants from Perak, Kedah and Penang participated in KS2023, which was held at the Ipoh Railway Station grounds at Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab, wearing traditional Malay attire including sarongs, baju kurung, kebaya, traditional warrior attire and baju Melayu.

The founder of Ipoh Social Club, Deena Erissa Delaila Mohd Zawawi, 26, said that the programme was organised in collaboration with Locco, and they had lined up various activities, including joget lambak and lucky draws.

Another KS 2023 participant, Amanda Cheah Wei Hua, 30, a secondary school teacher, said that she took part in the programme as she finds it unique, and can boost the spirit of patriotism among Malaysians.

In Johor Baru, a total of 600 KS 2023 participants flooded the one-kilometre-long Sungai Segget footpath in the city in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.

All participants, of various races, marched along Sungai Segget to the Komtar JBCC shopping centre, while singing patriotic and classical songs, accompanied by a dance performance.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) Social Development head, Raja Taufik Azad Ahmad Suhaimi, said that KS 2023 in Johor was organised by Iskandar Youth Hub Sdn Bhd, and was attended by all walks of life, including school students, institutions of higher learning (IPT) and NGOs.

"KS 2023 marks the first time it has been held in Johor in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration, and the participation has been very encouraging. We do not rule out the possibility of organising it again next year,” he told reporters today.

In Kuala Terengganu, as many as 3,000 visitors thronged the Terengganu Cultural Village for the ‘Musing Ketang’ programme, held in conjunction with KS 2023.

Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Environment and Climate Change Committee deputy chairman, Sulaiman Sulong, said that various activities were carried out to jazz up the three-day programme in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebrations.

He said among the activities held were demonstrations of ‘tikar kercut’ making, brassware carving, replicas of traditional boats, wau (kites) and batik paintings, which are the identity of the Terengganu people.

"We are taking the opportunity of KS 2023 to introduce the traditions and culture of Terengganu to foreign tourists. In this way, we can bring back the glory, culture and heritage covering architecture, traditional cuisine and so on,” he said. — Bernama