KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians from various cross sections of the society came together to celebrate this year’s Madani government Deepavali open house.
The event kicked off with a Chinese lion dance accompanied by Indian music-themed drum beats to welcome guests, followed by a performance of traditional Indian songs and traditional dance performances.
Many guests were blown away by the amazing selection of food, which featured Indian classics such as butter chicken, as well as a number of uniquely Malaysian foods like nasi lemak and fried rice.
Meanwhile, others were impressed by the vibrant atmosphere of the event, which was held in a cooling open air venue and featured many modernised Deepavali decorations, including a digital kolam.
The open house, held at Sentul Depot here yesterday, saw thousands of people in attendance, with many walking away with a closer appreciation of Malaysia’s diversity and unity.
To retiree Thewaparan Chinniah, 61, the event made him feel a sense of peace and unity like no other as he watched the celebrations with his friend and fellow retiree Bong Cy, 70.
“This was by far the best Deepavali government open house celebration I have attended. Not only did it look nice, but it also accommodated all races through the variety of food and service provided.
“I truly felt us coming together as a nation as I sat at my public table together with Bong and others of different races while we enjoyed the show.
“Bong and I will definitely carpool to the next open house if it’s as good as this one,” he said, adding that the digital kolam was his favourite part of the celebration.
Peter Chin, 52, highly enjoyed the open house as it left him feeling joyful and hopeful for the future.
“The event felt so inclusive as the recommended attire was only listed as casual, meaning that basically anyone could attend,” said the executive producer.
“It felt like one of the rare moments of us being able to come together and enjoy the festivities regardless of who we are, and was very befitting of what all government festive celebrations should be like going forward,” he said.
Project manager Amirah Farhani, 37, found her first government-organised Deepavali open house eye-opening for its inclusivity and comfort.
“I loved how they managed to include such a wide variety of food but kept it all inclusive so everyone can try, including the vegetarian food.
“It was great to see all the different races sitting down and eating the same cultural traditional food together as we enjoyed the show,” she said, adding that the open air venue was very comfortable.
Disabled person Vengadesan Krishnan, 27, said the event’s location being a walkable distance from nearby train stations was another good move towards inclusivity.
“As someone who travels nearly everywhere by public transport, I’m glad that this time they decided to hold it so near public transportation,” said Vengadesan, who works as a customer service officer.
“It further boosts our unique identity as being inclusive as possible. I hope they continue to do so for future events,” added Vengadesan, who has a plastic knee after getting into a road accident three years ago.
Retail shop owner Azlan Shahroldin, 40, said he was impressed at how the event managed to maintain a traditional portrayal of Deepavali celebrations but with a digital twist.
“The atmosphere just felt so inviting as they catered the decorations towards all Malaysians while keeping an accurate portrayal of Indian culture through its performances and food.
“It was also nice to see all our top leaders from so many different parties come together for a friendly celebration.
“I hope this becomes a benchmark for any future events the government wants to hold,” he added.
