What makes Malaysia, Malaysia? This Malaysia Day, Kuala Lumpur’s creative community mall GMBB, invites everyone to discover what it means through Rentak MalaysiaKu, a vibrant four-day celebration where every corner of the mall comes alive with rhythms, dances, stories and flavours from across the country, happening from 13 to 16 September 2025.
Brought to life by GMBB’s creative tenants and its extended community, Rentak MalaysiaKu offers a snippet of our multicultural, multiracial and multilingual nation – from the languages we speak, to the melodies we weave, to the soul of traditions that continue to shape our daily lives. Inspired by the everyday rhythms of how Malaysians live, create and connect, it celebrates both the familiar and the often-overlooked stories that make us who we are.
Highlights of Rentak MalaysiaKu:
The soul of tradition meets today
- From the rainforests of Borneo to the coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, this celebration honours the living heritage of our indigenous communities. Visitors can experience the evocative Sapeh melodies of Anderson Kalang as part of the Echoes of the Earth Exhibition and the intricate beadwork traditions of Borneo Sparkle. For a deeper cultural encounter, Bidayuh artist Dr. Kendy Mitot reflects a contemporary interpretation of the Bidayuh way of life in his art installation, accompanied by a sharing session, The Last Journey Between Realms: Memory and Storytelling in Bidayuh Gawai.
- From Peninsular Malaysia, Tompoq Topoh, the Mah Meri cultural group known for their deep connection to nature and ritual, collaborates with Gerimis to create a bunga jering art installation that symbolises tradition and transformation. Visitors can witness the sacred Main Jo’oh dance, join a sharing session on the meaning of Ari Muyang (Ancestor’s Day) and take part in a free hands-on bunga moyang weaving workshop. Adding to this, the Jelai Beads accessories by Temuan artist Leny Maknoh brings Orang Asli artistry into today’s creative spotlight.
- The centuries-old Malay art of shadow puppetry is being reimagined with contemporary storytelling and pop culture icons by the award-winning Fusion Wayang Kulit. Joining the line-up is Ayayu, a creative collective dedicated to preserving Malaysian heritage crafts, who will be offering batik painting on traditional waus.
Cultural voices across communities
- The Miniature Calligraphy Exhibition by Venerable Chi Chern brings the precision and artistry of Chinese brushwork into miniature form, showcasing cultural depth in delicate detail through a magnifying glass. Meanwhile, Cantonese Opera Grandmaster Madam Kam Sin Kiew will add a dramatic flair with a two-person performance. Visitors will also get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the make-up and costume process before she takes the stage, reviving one of the oldest forms of Chinese performing arts for today’s audiences.
- Adding flavour to the weekend, traditional Hainan coffee shop Jiak Kopi presents a Pumpkin Ondeh-Ondeh making workshop, while the Melaka Chetti Heritage Association of Malaysia offers their own Melaka Chetti Kueh workshop and a joget dance session. Both workshops invite participants to shape, taste and celebrate heritage traditions passed down through generations of Malaysia’s Indian and Baba Nyonya Peranakan communities.
- Curated by writer Raja Ahmad Aminullah, Seeds of Resistance takes visitors into the pages of 1900s newspapers & artifacts (including a framed display of Malaysia’s Declaration of Independence) — rediscovering works that inspired a nation’s imagination and fuelled the journey to Merdeka.
Art, stories and shared imagination
- Presented by ARTO Movement, Di Bawah Langit Yang Sama group exhibition gathers over 90 Malaysian artists and poets in a collective exhibition that reflects unity through diversity, turning GMBB’s event space into a chorus of voices from across the nation.
- Hikayat Fandom will enchant families with their storytelling sessions, bringing to life folk tales and legends that have travelled through Malaysia’s many communities.
- The Duke Museum presents To Know Malaysia is to Love Malaysia, an intimate showcase of Malaysian picture-book culture, celebrating stories that continue to bind generations together.
- Intimate storytelling, music sharing, singalong and Kummi Dance by the filmmakers behind Araro Ariraro and Santosh.L adds another layer of cultural exchange, inviting audiences into a participatory experience that blends film, music and movement.
“Community is at the heart of GMBB. With Rentak MalaysiaKu, we want to honour the everyday rhythms that make up Malaysian life — not just in music or dance, but in the way we act, interact, write and speak with one another. Malaysia Day reminds us that even in our differences, there are shared rhythms that bring us closer together and make us uniquely Malaysians. By giving space to artists and cultural communities to #MakeMore, we hope our visitors will always walk away with new discoveries,” said Lim Ying Hui, General Manager of GMBB.
Curate your Malaysia Day experience with Rentak MalaysiaKu at GMBB this 13 to 16 September 2025. For the latest updates about Rentak MalaysiaKu 2025, follow GMBB on Facebook and Instagram.
