Keretapi Sarong fills carriages with song, dance and culture
JOHOR BARU: It was a meaningful Malaysia Day for Biah Itar and Nur Amiliah Yusle, who formed a new friendship during their enjoyable Keretapi Sarong 2026 (KS26) ride to mark the occasion.
Shipping officer Nur Amiliah, 32, said she had always wanted to participate in the Keretapi Sarong programme but had never had the chance.
“This year, the stars aligned and I finally got to join in the fun. It really was as delightful as I imagined.
“People from all walks of life were singing and laughing, with some even dancing throughout the journey.
“It was such a beautiful sight, especially as everyone was in their colourful traditional costumes,” she said.
Logistics officer Biah, 40, who boarded the train in Kempas with Nur Amiliah, said she now looked forward to future Keretapi Sarong programmes.
“It is amazing how we started the journey together as strangers in the morning and ended up as friends by the time we reached the end of the journey,” she said after disembarking at Johor Baru Sentral.
Also thrilled was accountant M. Lalitha, 36, who took her first Keretapi Sarong ride with her brother and two cousins from Kulai to Johor Baru.
“One of the most memorable moments was when we sang songs together,” she said, adding that among the songs they belted out together were Malay rock classics such as Isabella.
Participants held a parade from Komtar JBCC before making their way to Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim and ending at the 0km landmark in Johor Baru, where several cultural performances were held.
Meanwhile, about 25,000 people gathered at Raintree Plaza, TRX, in Kuala Lumpur to join in the celebrations.
The event was made even more special by the surprise appearance of popular singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, as well as performances by Aina Abdul and Didie Shazry.
During the train ride, a six-year-old male cat named Tony stole the limelight.
Its owner, A. Kanmani, 48, decided to bring her sarong-clad feline to the event for the first time.
“This is his first time joining, but he behaved very well.
“I bought him a shirt for a three-month-old baby, and luckily, it fitted,” she told Bernama.
In Penang, more than 15,000 people thronged the entrance of the Penang Ferry Museum for the event.
The celebrations saw participants dressed in various ethnic and traditional costumes, including those worn by Sabahans and Sarawakians.
In Kelantan, more than 500 participants took the train from the Tanah Merah, Pasir Mas and Tumpat stations as part of the celebrations, held at Pasar Che Siti, where more than 2,000 people had gathered.
In Melaka, some 3,000 participants, including those from the Baba Nyonya, Chetti and Portuguese communities, gathered at Muzium Istana Kesultanan Melayu Melaka before parading to Menara Taming Sari.
In Ipoh, about 2,000 participants gathered at the Ipoh train station for the celebrations, which included traditional games and a tour of several historical landmarks.
KS26 was celebrated simultaneously across 10 cities nationwide, marking its biggest edition to date since the annual flash mob event was revived by community group Locco (Local Companion) in 2017.
The 10 towns and cities were Padang Besar in Perlis, Langkawi and Sungai Petani in Kedah, George Town, Ipoh, Melaka, Johor Baru, Kota Baru, Kuantan and Kuching.
