This time of year has always been exceptionally special for Malaysians. A little over two weeks ago, we celebrated our country’s 66th year of independence and yesterday, we honoured the establishment of the Malaysian federation exactly 60 years ago. On 16 September 1963, Peninsular Malaysia or the Federation of Malaya as it was officially known then, joined with Borneo’s Sabah and Sarawak territories, and Singapore (who unfortunately exited the union in 1965) to form a new nation called Malaysia. 

To commemorate the day, AirAsia, together with throngs of excited tourists and locals alike, proudly partook in the 6th annual Keretapi Sarong event organised by community group, Locco. The very first event was held in 2012, where a few hundred folks gathered to display their best sarong ensemble. 

Today, the event amasses tens of thousands of attendees each year for a day filled with patriotic joy and fun activities. Whilst times have changed, the tradition of this event still remains ‒ on the morning of 16 September, people from diverse cultures and backgrounds met at the designated train stations, Putrajaya Sentral (KLIA Transit), Subang Jaya (LRT), Bandar Utama (MRT), Ampang (LRT), Gombak (LRT), Kajang (MRT) and KL Sentral (LRT),  dressed in their best sarongs to head to the main location ‒ unveiled to be Dataran Merdeka this year. Aptly themed ‘ethnicity’, 2023’s event partners include AirAsia, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Ministry of National Unity and RapidKL, among others. This year, a similar gathering had also concurrently taken place in Johor Bahru, Ipoh and Kuala Terengganu as well as in London, United Kingdom. 

The experience was certainly a treat for the eyes-and ears. Excited attendees joined forces with each other to perform traditional local numbers, captivating cultural performances and story telling sessions ‒ capturing the true essence of a unified Malaysia. The fun didn’t stop as train goers hopped aboard the carriage, as the crowd continued their renditions of sentimental songs. 

At Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia’s signature red booth stood proudly, warmly welcoming people to partake in numerous fun games, batik painting and lucky draw sessions. AirAsia Foundation, airasia Superapp and many other AirAsia’s homegrown businesses had set up different stations for booth attendees. AirAsia’s exclusive merchandise was soon all snapped up as more and more folks turned up at the booth to catch entertaining performances from our very own Fun Team! 

We spoke to a few excited event-goers who had turned up on the sunny morning donning their best sarong attire.

Best friends Hanis and Auni told AirAsia, “We’re amazed at the turnout, and people are still coming! This is our first time participating at Keretapi Sarong, and we wanted to experience being a part of a unified nation.”

For booth visitor Jimmy, this once-in-a-lifetime experience was not to be missed. He says, “I love seeing everyone display their best creative style, from the traditional baju kurung to the Ngepan Indu (a traditional Iban dress). The air was brimming with patriotism, and I will surely attend next year’s event again. Saya anak Malaysia, after all!”

Meanwhile at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2, AirAsia Cabin Crew clad in traditional costumes of the ethnicities in Malaysia embarked on an airport walkabout to celebrate Malaysia Day with AirAsia guests. They distributed Malaysia flags, offered photo opportunities with the departing guests and spread patriotic cheer throughout the terminal. Not to be outdone, our Guest Service Assistants from Ground Team Red (GTR), stationed across all key hubs and stations, also seized the opportunity to partake in the Malaysia Day celebrations. They dressed in their finest traditional garments, adding a touch of cultural significance to commemorate this special day with our valued guests.

Earlier at RedQ, AirAsia’s headquarters and home to almost two thousand Allstars, celebrations were done in full grandeur and splendour on 13 September 2023. Allstars from various departments, decked in their favourite Malaysian traditional-wear, gathered at RedQ for a lively afternoon of songs, dances and a bout of shopping! Entrepreneurship courses through the veins of many Allstars and to encourage our enterprising go-getters ‒ a select few were chosen to set up stalls and sell their goodies on this special day. From yummy cakes to keropok to home-made kuih, buyers were spoilt for choice. And what’s a Malaysian gathering without a spread of the best local cuisine in the world? We tucked into a fiesta fit for a king ‒ potluck style ‒ thanks to generous Allstars who brought Malaysia’s famed mouth-watering delectables: laksa, chicken rendang, pulut and much more. 

That’s not all ‒ in the days leading up to Malaysia Day, AirAsia carried out a series of activations at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 2) much to the delight of our guests. These festivities included in-flight and on ground activations, with one of them being  a send-off of flight ‒ AK5140 bound for Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu on 15 September ‒ creating a vibrant atmosphere and a memorable experience for travellers celebrating this significant national occasion. 

Happy 60th birthday, Malaysia! AirAsia is both honoured and humbled to be a brand partner for the Keretapi Sarong event, a community effort connecting Malaysians, uniting Malaysians. AirAsia is what it is today thanks to our Allstars from Malaysia and beyond, and our trusted guests who had faith in us from Day 1. From a tiny airline flying to just a few destinations, we’ve grown to be a world-renowned Malaysian brand connecting amazing people to amazing places. Our heartiest gratitude goes out to all of you who joined the fun this weekend, and we hope to see you onboard soon!