3,000 people expected to attend Keretapi Sarong 2022 flash mob tomorrow for Malaysia Day

Keretapi Sarong aims to cultivate awareness of the use of public transportation and celebrate the sarong as a traditional fashion and culture. Photos: Locco

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the annual flash mob Keretapi Sarong is making a comeback in conjunction with Malaysia Day celebrations.

The event aims to encourage the use of public transportation and celebrate the sarong as a traditional fashion and culture.

It is organised by the community group Locco (Local Companion). Locco public relations and event director Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman describes Keretapi Sarong as a unifying event where people from all walks of life gather to celebrate Malaysia Day.

Put on a sarong in conjunction with Keretapi Sarong 2022.

It is modelled after the No Pants Subway movement in New York that mobilised 1,200 New Yorkers to wear anything but pants on the train in 2009.

Shamsul expects over 3,000 people at the event, which takes place tomorrow.

“This is the sixth year Locco is organising this special event in conjunction with Malaysia Day. The objective of Keretapi Sarong is to celebrate our culture, music and traditions,” he said during a phone interview from Kuala Lumpur.

Keretapi Sarong has added three new stations – KL Sentral, Putrajaya and KLIA (via Express Rail Link train network) to the five existing stations in the Klang Valley – LRT Gombak, LRT Ampang, LRT Subang Jaya, MRT Kajang and MRT Bandar Utama.

Annual flash mob Keretapi Sarong aims to instill the spirit of unity among Malaysians.

KL Sentral Station will welcome sarongites who are joining via the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) commuter trains and ERL services. This year’s theme is Retro Day. Malaysians are invited to put on their favourite sarong, batik or kain pelikat. Participants are encouraged to gather at their nearest train stations at 8.30am.

“We will depart from the stations at 9am. Groups move from starting stations to the final location before walking towards our ‘secret’ location. Locco will post live updates on our travel locations on our Instagram page, @locco.my,” he shared.

Activities, cultural games and sing-along sessions will be led by groups of volunteers and strategic partners stationed at the stations.

In addition, there will be dance performances by Anomalist Productions and a short theatre show by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institut Alam dan Tamadun Melayu. Best-dressed prizes are up for grabs, and the categories include best-dressed male, female, senior citizen, children and cosplayer in a sarong.

The retro look is the theme for this year's Keretapi Sarong.

Shamsul added that the flash mob event would also take place in Ipoh tomorrow.

“Ipoh Social Club will join and organise an Ipoh Keretapi Sarong at KTMB’s Ipoh Station. Locco hopes that this will remain a permanent community event. Hopefully, more states can join this movement in future.”

The event will end with the Keretapi Sarong tradition, the popular joget lambak. This traditional dance is usually performed by a large crowd together during social functions.

In conjunction with the event, Express Rail Link is giving up to 50% discounts for return tickets from Putrajaya to KL Sentral. In addition, RapidKL will offer a promotion for its daily pass for those using the LRT and MRT lines.

For more details, go to locco.com.my