If the pulse of Southeast Asia could be captured in a single moment, it might sound like this: the laughter of two women in batik skirts exchanging recipes on a morning train; the rhythm of silat dancers on a dusty backlot stage in Melaka; or the shared nod between a Malaysian and an Indonesian realizing they speak the same language — just differently.
This past week in Kuala Lumpur, that rhythm found a new voice.
In a quiet yet meaningful ceremony, Good News From Indonesia (GNFI) and SEASIA, two of the region’s leading digital platforms in Indonesia for positive storytelling, joined hands with LOCCO, Malaysia’s beloved cultural creative force, in a pact that might well redefine how Southeast Asia sees — and tells — itself.
The signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marked more than an institutional handshake. It was the beginning of a cultural compact. A shared commitment to storytelling not as spectacle, but as substance — not for outside consumption, but for regional connection.
A Shared Identity, A Shared Platform
Southeast Asia is not a monolith, but a mosaic — distinct nations bound by shared roots and rhythms. Few ties run deeper than those between Indonesia and Malaysia, a relationship that Akhyari Hananto, founder and director of GNFI and SEASIA, has long worked to strengthen through storytelling and regional collaboration.
"Indonesia shares a lot in common with Malaysia, and by fostering people-to-people relations through cultural exchanges, educational programs, shared stories, and tourism, this will deepen mutual understanding, strengthen regional solidarity, and build a more integrated Southeast Asian identity rooted in respect and connection," he said.
"In the long run, this will benefit both nations economically, socially, and culturally."
His words are more than just diplomatic optimism. They reflect the ethos of two platforms — GNFI and SEASIA — that have spent the past decade reshaping digital discourse, promoting homegrown solutions, and celebrating the ordinary people who make the region extraordinary.
With over 200 million monthly views, their reach is not just wide, but resonant. Their stories — of village innovators, youth-led movements, forgotten histories — have helped shape a new media ecosystem across ASEAN.
LOCCO: Movement in Motion
Enter LOCCO, Malaysia’s cultural maverick, best known for its Keretapi Sarong initiative — a joyous, moving celebration of traditional wear and unity, staged annually on Malaysia Day. It turns MRT carriages into cultural runways, and ordinary citizens into heritage ambassadors.
For Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman, LOCCO’s co-founder, this collaboration with GNFI and SEASIA is about scaling that same emotional energy across the region.
"Keretapi Sarong taught us how stories bring people together. This MoU with SEASIA and GNFI is about taking that same energy to a regional level — showing the world the beauty of who we are, and how we can unite through heritage, celebration, and shared values."
The trio is already putting their pact into motion. Keretapi Sarong 2025, scheduled for 13 September, will be the first joint initiative under this alliance — and it’s going regional. Organizers expect to welcome over 40,000 participants, including waves of Indonesian supporters, fueled by GNFI and SEASIA’s regional outreach.
Looking to 2026 and Beyond
This collaboration also carries strategic weight. With Visit Malaysia Year 2026 approaching, cultural storytelling is emerging not just as soft power — but smart power.
Syed Azhar Syed Nazir, President of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Association (KLTA), underscored the importance of such partnerships.
"This collaboration is timely and meaningful, especially as we look ahead to Visit Malaysia Year 2026. Strengthening cultural ties and visibility through platforms like GNFI, SEASIA, and LOCCO will significantly boost regional tourism and create long-term opportunities for cultural diplomacy."
It’s a vision that places culture not on the sidelines, but at the center of Southeast Asia’s development — one that prizes empathy over metrics, heritage over hashtags, and connection over commerce.
Telling the Region’s Story, Together
This isn’t just about content. It’s about narrative sovereignty. For too long, Southeast Asia has had its stories told by others — through external frames and foreign filters. Now, a new generation of creators, strategists, and citizens is reclaiming that narrative, not with flags or slogans, but with authenticity.
The GNFI + SEASIA x LOCCO alliance is a powerful expression of that reclamation. It reminds us that what unites Southeast Asians isn’t only history or language — it’s the desire to be seen as we are, and to see each other in full.
So, when the next young artist in Bandung collaborates with a film crew from Penang, or a student in Solo watches a cultural documentary filmed in Sabah, it won’t just be media — it will be movement.
A quiet one, perhaps. But powerful nonetheless.
And Southeast Asia will hum — a little louder, a little prouder, and very much together.
