Keretapi Sarong flash mob programme back, will spice up Malaysia Day Celebration

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- The Keretapi Sarong flash mob programme is now back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic to spice up the Malaysia Day 2022 celebrations on Sept 16 with the theme 'Retro Kuala Lumpur'.

The programme director Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman said the event will start simultaneously at seven RapidKL and Express Rail Link (ERL) train stations and be led by a group of volunteers at each location leading to the final location which is still being kept secret.

He said the stations involved were Light Rail Transit (LRT) Subang Jaya, Mass Rail Transit (MRT) Bandar Utama, LRT Gombak, LRT Ampang and MRT Kajang.

"This year, we added several more starting stations, namely the KLIA Transit stations in KLIA and Putrajaya as well as Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB ) KL Sentral station to expand the network of participants.

"KL Sentral station is the starting and meeting station for participants who use the KTM Komuter and KLIA Transit services from their respective stations," he said at the pre-launch ceremony of the programme here today.

Shamsul Bahrin said that the programme for the first time will also take place simultaneously in Ipoh and is expected to be held at KTMB Ipoh Station in collaboration with Kelab Sosial Ipoh.

He targeted participation of more than 5,000 people this year following the increase in the train station network as the starting stations.

The Keretapi Sarong Programme handled by non-governmental organisation (NGO) LOCCO started in 2012 involving thousands of participants riding public transport wearing sarongs, either batik or pelikat, which became a symbol of the culture and heritage of the multi-racial community in Malaysia.

This year, it also received the cooperation of the Ministry of Transport and its agencies, namely KTMB, Prasarana Berhad, MRT Corporation, ERL and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

-- BERNAMA