Did you know that last August, Malaysia’s Sri Dasmesh Sikh pipe band emerged a major winner at the World Pipe Band Championship that took place in Scotland?

The band, which was founded in 1986, came in tops for its category as well as in the drumming and parade categories.

That's just one of many achievements by Malaysians in their chosen field that we would like to honour during this special period between Merdeka Day (Aug 31) and Malaysia Day (Sept 16) to celebrate all that is unique about being Malaysian in a project we call #KitaMalaysia.

Our #KitaMalaysia Digital Video Series recognises Malaysians who were international award winners in 2019.

In a series of inspiring videos, we asked them: "What makes you proud to be Malaysian?"

Among those featured are members of the Sri Dasmesh Sikh pipe band that bagged a world championship in Scotland, award-winning photographer Edwin Ong Wee Kee, top-ranked karate exponent P Madhuri and Tan Chin Seng, who bagged an international award in Italy for his violin-making skills.

There's also a pastry chef trio that triumphed in the World Pastry Cup in France and Siti Nurafaf Ismail, the first Asian woman to have won the Royal Institute of British Architect's Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship.

We also spoke to Emir Haady Imran Zulharnain, the youngest student ever at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin and Hakeem Mohammad Akmal who scored top in the world in the Recording Financial Transactions Paper in a paper prepared by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the global body for professional accountants.

Designer Tina Winness Wong and director Victor Chen, whose short film My Ba's Radio won him an award in Italy, are also involved in sharing their stories.

24-hour photoshoot

Aside from these inspirational messages from our Malaysian achievers, we are also putting together a unique 24-hour photoshoot event.

From 7am tomorrow to 7am Thursday (Sept 9-10), three photographers will go to 21 iconic locations in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and photograph 12 models representing different ethnic groups wearing apparel by 12 Malaysian designers. 

The event will be documented in a video shoot and has been earmarked for a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records. You can follow it on our event page here. 

Also, do check out our #KitaMalaysia Facebook page for the complete videos.

Finally here is our #KitaMalaysia song released by the Colour of Voices group - a contemporary outfit with lively sounds to update the traditional message of nationhood and belonging.