By Vincent D’Silva

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Beneath the colours of Malaysia Day, children walked proudly in costumes fashioned from recycled materials, conservationists spoke of fragile ecosystems, community organisations shared the realities of working on the ground, and families gathered around a simple message — caring for the country also means caring for the earth beneath our feet.

At Eco Galleria in Iskandar Puteri, the spirit of Sept 16 took on a distinctly green hue as JOM! Go Green @ Malaysia Day 2026 brought government representatives, non-governmental organisations, educators, businesses, volunteers, parents, children and communities together for a celebration rooted in sustainability, unity and shared responsibility.

Organised by Expressions Studio, the programme sought to move environmental awareness beyond slogans and speeches by placing people from different sectors in the same space — connecting those already working for change with the communities whose participation can help sustain it.

For Expressions Studio founder and event organiser Ericka Krystalyn, the gathering was never intended to be simply another environmental programme.

“We wanted JOM! Go Green to become a platform where organisations already doing meaningful work could meet, connect and engage directly with the communities they serve,” she said.

“The message we hope people will take home is that change does not always begin with something enormous. Sometimes it begins with one person making a better choice, one child learning to love nature, or one family deciding to reduce waste.

“When those small efforts are repeated across a community, they can grow into something much more powerful.”

Ericka said the initiative reflected Expressions Studio’s philosophy of “Connect, Elevate & Transform”, with collaboration serving as the bridge between good intentions and meaningful community impact.

That spirit of connection ran through the programme.

Grassroots organisations including Kelab Alami, MMICARE Association, Blue Santa Malaysia and Glocal Helping Hands took part in Green Conversations, an open discussion examining the realities faced by organisations seeking to create social and environmental impact.

The conversations touched on issues often hidden behind successful community programmes — securing funding, encouraging public participation, building partnerships, obtaining institutional support and sustaining initiatives long after the banners have been taken down.

Environmental education was brought closer to the public through sessions featuring Dr Serina Rahman of myKP Pendekar Laut/Kelab Alami and Dr Nurul Hawani Idris of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

For the younger participants, conservation was translated into something more immediate through a reading of Adam’s Seagrass, allowing children to encounter the story of the natural environment through words and imagination.

But perhaps one of the most colourful expressions of the day came from more than 30 children participating in Busana Hari Malaysia.

Representing Malaysia’s multicultural society, they appeared in imaginative Malaysia Day-inspired attire incorporating recycled and repurposed materials.

Plastic, paper and discarded materials were given another life through creativity — transformed into costumes that carried both the colours of the nation and a quiet reminder that what society throws away can sometimes be reimagined.

Johor State Unity, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman Pannir Selvam Paliksina Siwalinggam, who officiated the programme, said Malaysia Day offered an especially meaningful setting for such an initiative because environmental responsibility, like national unity, depended on people recognising what they shared.

“Malaysia Day is more than just a date on the calendar. It reminds us of our unity, our diversity and our shared responsibility as Malaysians,” he said.

“Caring for the environment is also a shared responsibility. It cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the government, nor can it be left entirely to NGOs or environmental activists.

“All of us, whether government agencies or members of the community, have a role to play.”

Pannir Selvam said the sight of government agencies, NGOs, educational institutions, businesses, volunteers, parents and children coming together embodied the Malaysian tradition of gotong-royong.

“What is particularly meaningful about this programme is that we are able to see all these different groups coming together in the same space.

“This is the spirit of gotong-royong, mutual cooperation and unity that we must continue to nurture,” he said.

He was particularly encouraged by the involvement of children and young people, saying environmental responsibility had to be planted early if it was to take root for generations.

“Environmental education should not begin only when a person reaches adulthood,” he said.

“When our children are given opportunities from an early age to understand nature, learn about their communities and participate in conservation efforts, we are shaping a generation that will be more responsible for the future of our country.”

Pannir Selvam also highlighted conservation initiatives being undertaken in Iskandar Puteri, saying cooperation among local authorities, experts, communities and grassroots groups demonstrated the importance of collective action.

At the heart of JOM! Go Green was a deceptively simple theme: “Small Efforts, Big Change.”

Pannir Selvam said people sometimes underestimated the value of their individual actions because environmental challenges could appear overwhelming.

Yet, he said, lasting change often began quietly.

“A family that reduces waste, a child who learns to appreciate nature, a community that takes care of its surroundings, a business that chooses to act more responsibly, or an NGO that continues to champion a cause even when it begins with limited resources — these may appear to be small actions,” he said.

“But when these small efforts are brought together, they become the movement of an entire community.”

The programme also featured youth speakers, a Green Pledge Wall, community activities, small businesses and community entrepreneurs, alongside the presentation of the 14 Miss MalaysiaIndian Global 2026 finalists by MMICARE Association.

Expressions Studio managing director Dr Vithyatheri Govindan said the initiative reflected the organisation’s commitment to building platforms where communities and organisations could find common purpose and turn collaboration into practical engagement.

Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Haji Pandak Ahmad, who had endorsed the programme, was unable to attend because of an earlier engagement.

For Ericka, however, the true measure of the programme would not be found only in the number of people who attended or the activities staged that day.

It would be found in what participants carried home with them.

“Sustainability should not feel distant or impossible,” she said.

“It should feel like something each of us can be part of. When people realise that their actions matter, they begin to see themselves not merely as spectators, but as participants in creating change.”

As Malaysia Day celebrations continued, the gathering offered another interpretation of patriotism — one measured not only in flags, songs and expressions of national pride, but also in how carefully Malaysians safeguard the home they share.

Pannir Selvam said despite differences in race, age, background and organisation, Malaysians remained bound by that common inheritance.

“We may come from different backgrounds, races, age groups and organisations, but we all share the same home — Malaysia,” he said.

“It is therefore our shared responsibility to ensure that this home not only continues to progress, but also remains sustainable for future generations to inherit.”

And amid the laughter of children, conversations between strangers and promises written upon a green pledge wall, the message of the day lingered long after the programme itself — that a better future need not always begin with a giant leap.

Sometimes, it begins with one small step, taken together.