All dolled up: (From second left) Daisy, Ally and Debbie along with other participants of the event posing for a photo.
JOHOR BARU: Dressed in their finest traditional attire, from the Sarawakian pua kumbu to the Indian kurta, thousands of people from all over the country participated in the Keretapi Sarong event.
Held in conjunction with Malaysia Day at several locations around the country, many took time to plan their costumes – at times, days ahead.
In Johor Baru, it was a proud moment for Daisy Harry as she walked along Sungai Segget in her traditional Iban costume.
For the past week, Daisy had been busy planning her outfit for the event with her daughter, Ally Umbau Dennis, and sister, Debbie Harry.
“I was very excited when I found out about the event through social media and immediately started planning what to wear with my daughter and sister.
“I see it as a very good opportunity for us to showcase the diverse and colourful Sarawak culture to our friends here who may not have seen it before.
“After about a week of planning, I decided to don the traditional Iban costume with my sister, while my daughter chose to wear a traditional Orang Ulu costume,” said Daisy, who is a civil servant.
Daisy, 54, donned a ngepan (Iban costume), pairing it with a pua kumbu (traditional Iban textile), while her sister wore a traditional vest called baju burie over a green skirt with a handmade Iban motif.
“Instead of a sarong, I used a pua kumbu, which is a traditional Iban textile that also looks like a sarong but with a more tribal motif.
“This is the first time that my 24-year-old daughter has worn an Orang Ulu costume. We bought it about two years ago in Sarawak but she never had the opportunity to wear it.
“She decided to wear it today as she wants to showcase the culture of other ethnic groups from Sarawak,” she said, adding that all the attire, including its accessories, was handmade.
Daisy was among some 600 people who took part in the 1km walk along Sungai Segget in Johor Baru town here to the Komtar JBCC shopping mall as they sang patriotic songs.
Iskandar Regional Development Authority social development head Raja Taufik Azad Ahmad Suhaimi said this was the first time the event was held in the state.
In Ipoh, at least 500 people gathered to celebrate the annual Keretapi Sarong event at the train station, which was in the city for the second time.
Teacher Amanda Cheah, 30, who came with her friends, has been looking forward to it since the event last year.
“My friends and I woke up as early as 5.30am to get ourselves ready. We all wore the same outfit we wore during the National Day celebration in August,” she said.
“The event certainly made Malaysia Day more memorable for us. Hopefully, it can be held on a bigger scale next year,” she said.
This year’s event was organised with the cooperation of various parties, including the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, the Culture and Arts Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Wonda Coffee, Rapid KL, AirAsia, Bulan Bintang and Mr DIY.
