THE ISLAM Defenders’ Associations (PEMBELA) can expect the participation of at least one DAP MP at their Malay Civilisation Day festival next Saturday – depending on their answers to his three questions.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng first asked if non-Malay groups could take part in the festival, seemingly organised in response to the under-fire Bon Odori festival Muslims were advised by a minister to avoid.
“This is as the nature (of organising the Malay Civilisation Day festival) is the same as (organising) an open and inclusive festival like Jom Heboh, which showcases multiple activities without considering race and religion.”
Lim also asked if would there be any speeches from representatives from political parties, and if organisers would disallow speeches that could spark racial and religious tensions.
“If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, I have no problem attending the Malay Civilisation Day festival,” Lim said in a statement today.
Lim, however, questioned if PEMBELA would be okay with followers of other religions wanting to organise large-scale cultural events for occasions like Christmas and the lantern festival.
“I have no problem for programmes like the Malay Civilisation Day to be held. In fact, I encourage them.
“At the same time, I believe other races and religions in Malaysia can also organise festivals of similar natures,” he said.
“To celebrate Malaysia as a united country, we need to celebrate and respect other religious celebrations, together.”
Celebrated for over 30 years
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bon Odori summer festival, a popular Japanese cultural event celebrated in Malaysia for more than 30 years, made its return.
Organised by local Japanese groups with the backing of the Japanese embassy, the festival aims at celebrating Japanese culture. Festival-goers don traditional Japanese outfits as they tune in to drum performances and dances.
Two such festivals are slated this year – one in Shah Alam, Selangor (held on July 16) and another in Penang (July 30). The Shah Alam festival reportedly saw an attendance of about 35,000 people.
The festival turned into a religious issue after Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Idris Ahmad last month said Muslims should not take part in the festival as it was “influenced by elements of other faiths”.
Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, however, intervened by telling the relevant authorities to allow the festival to proceed. He also urged Idris to attend the festival to differentiate religion and culture.
Despite this, some conservative Islamist groups still insisted Muslims stay away from the festival, and PEMBELA announced on Wednesday (July 20) it was organising the Malay Civilisation Day festival.
However, PEMBELA has since clarified that their festival, slated for July 30, was planned long before, and is not being held to counter the Bon Odori festival.
The Malay Civilisation Day festival will include an Islamic exhibition with never-seen-before artefacts, a silat exhibition featuring cast members from the popular Mat Kilau film, and puisi and sajak recitations. – July 23, 2022
