[Updated] Get On Board Locco’s 2023 Keretapi Sarong This Malaysia Day
2023 Keretapi Sarong is back again this 16 September and here’s how you can join this year.
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Besides the Merdeka Parade, there’s also a yearly event that gathers Malaysians of all races and ages on a particular day in the middle of KL, and it’s called the Keretapi Sarong.
This year’s event [Updated]
Here are the details of this year’s Keretapi Sarong 2023 (KS23).
The secret location is not so secret anymore
One of the best essences of KS is the secret location. But due to some restraints this year, Locco has decided to reveal the secret location, which is Dataran Merdeka.
According to them, the reveal was made to accommodate parents with little kids as well as other people with disabilities to join the event without being in crowded trains.
However, they also assure everyone that there are plenty of other surprises for the event this year so you have to stay tuned.
In addition, they also have various categories for the best-dressed contest. It includes males, females, family, senior citizens as well as kids. They have many interesting prizes for the winners so look your best for the day!
Stations
Here are the starting stations where everyone can gather. Before they move to Dataran Merdeka, there will be various activities at the stations to get the spirit going.
LRT Stations: KL Sentral, Subang Jaya, Ampang, Gombak
MRT stations: Bandar Utama & Kajang
KLIA Transit: Putrajaya Sentral
Theme
The theme for this year is Ethnicity. This means that you can dress in your best outfit that represents your ethnicity.
Dress in your favourite Kebayas, Cheongsam, Sarees, Sinuangga, Ngepan Iban or anything, but don’t forget to bring a kain pelikat or kain batik with you too, to complete the Sarong look.
So all you have to do is put on your best sarong and gather at the stations as early as 8.30 am. Then follow the Sarong Squad to Dataran Merdeka and embrace the joy of Keretapi Sarong.
Besides that, here are some of the songs you can sing along to on the train that day. Bookmark the post and memorise the lyrics for a more lively experience. Just a tip, Rasa Sayang, Barisan Kita and Chan Mali Chan are among the most popular ones. Get the lyrics glued to your brain!
What is the Keretapi Sarong?
Keretapi Sarong is an event where people from all walks of life gather to celebrate Hari Malaysia (16 September) in their sarong or traditional attire at a ‘secret location’.
(Credit: @kemeyhakim / Twitter)
It also emphasizes the use of public transportation in Malaysia, especially Klang Valley’s trains as the essence of the whole event is indeed, a keretapi (train).
The event starts off with the public gathering around their nearest respective stations, each with its unique activities, and then they all move in the train to a secret location where the volunteers would bring them.
@discoverklofficial Keretapi Sarong is a celebration where Malaysians wear their traditional sarongs to uphold Hari Malaysia. The theme this year is Retro 🕺 From the selected LRT & MRT points, the event organisers took us to a mystery location, which turned out to be Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur. Selamat Hari Malaysia! 🇲🇾 #keretapisarong22 #keretapisarong2022 #fypage #fyp #foryou #sayaanakmalaysia #keretapisarong #sayaanakmalaysia🇲🇾💕 #malaysiaday #malaysiaday2022🇲🇾 #harimalaysia #harimalaysia2022 #retrokualalumpur #retro #ootd #ootdmalaysia #ootdretro #bukitbintang #bukitbintangmalaysia #pavilionkl #kualalumpur #harimalaysia #merdeka @LOCCO 🇲🇾 ♬ Dikir Puteri – Noraniza Idris
During the journey on the trains, people would sing along to Malaysian traditional songs such as Rasa Sayang, Can Mali Can, Gemilang, and much more loudly from the first coach to the last one.
When they reach their secret destination, they’ll be entertained with performances on stages and several other traditional activities with the crowd like folk song singing, Joget Lambak as well as traditional games. You can learn Joget Lambak on the spot and dance together with the crowd too.
They even have a checklist to complete for the day itself so the public can get the best out of Keretapi Sarong.
And for those who want to join in the fun but don’t have anyone to tag along with, they got that covered too. The “Geng Takda Geng” group is for lonely individuals to connect and make meaningful memories with new friends on the day itself.
Last year’s event (KS22)
Last year, the theme was Retro which saw 6,000 Malaysians dressed in their best 90s, 80s, and 70s look all coming together to Pavilion Bukit Bintang.
The outfits were then topped off with a sarong, either draped across the body, made as headgear or hung on their shoulders.
They even have prizes for the best-dressed participants, as well as the best-dressed cosplayers donning a sarong too.
Besides that, they’ve assigned different NGO volunteers to each station. For example, the Dikir Barat group led the team from Bandar Utama station, the Malay traditional clothing group led the team from Kajang station, the theatre group led the team from Gombak and so on.
So if you want to join certain activities, do keep an eye out on which NGO communities they’re going to assign to each station later on.
@athirahmedan_ Selamat Hari Malaysia! #KeretapiSarong22 ♬ Dikir Barat (Kelantan) – Kumpulan Kijang Emas
You can watch the 10-minute official highlight video of last year’s event in the video below.
Brief Chronology of Keretapi Sarong
2017 – Keretapi Sarong (Muzium Negara)
2018 – Keretapi Sarong (Matic, Kuala Lumpur)
2019 – Keretapi Sarong (Dataran Merdeka)
2020 – Hari Sarong (Nationwide locations & online)
2021 – Hari Sarong (In their respective homes & online)
2022 – Keretapi Sarong (Pavilion Bukit Bintang)
2023 – Keretapi Sarong (Dataran Merdeka)
So, you got your sarong ready for this Malaysia Day? Stay tuned on Locco’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and website for more updates on the day!
They tell you which stations to look out for and how to join in the fun. Remember to top up your TnG cards!
READ MORE: [Updated] Get Ready For This Year’s Keretapi Sarong Event On 16 September!
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