"Not Our Culture" — Malaysians Question Halloween Over Deepavali Decor In Shopping Malls
"As a Malay, would love to see more Deepavali decoration."
By Sadho Ram — 28 Oct 2024, 01:58 PM
Malaysians are questioning why some shopping malls are prioritising Halloween decor and sidelining Deepavali, the festival of light, a widely celebrated festival among the Indian Malaysian community
One such Malaysian, Suresh Yoganthram, shared his observation of a huge Halloween setup overshadowing a small Deepavali kolam at a "mall situated in a Chinese and Malay populated area".
According to the content creator, while he "gets it", he added that "it would have been a great opportunity to educate non-Hindus on the celebration itself through an interactive exhibition".
Meanwhile, in the comments section of the post, many stated that they would have actually preferred to see more Deepavali decor
"As a Malay, would love to see more Deepavali decoration," commented a user.
Another remarked that "this is not our culture" and that Halloween should be banned in Malaysia.
"Since when is Halloween our Malaysian culture? The date of Halloween is not even in calendar. Please respect our Malaysian cultures. It's time for Deepavali decoration," joined another.
"I always wonder why?? Our main celebration clearly Hari Raya, CNY & Deepavali. But why does most mall more to CNY & Christmas?? Even the holiday not the same? Why Deepavali only one day??? Why??" questioned another.
