IT’S been pointed out before. Numerous times in fact.
Shopping malls going all-out with Christmas and Chinese New Year (CNY) decorations.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that except that the same effort seems to be missing for other celebrations such as Hari Raya and Deepavali.
Recall that some malls were recently criticised for giving Halloween decorations priority over Deepavali which fell on the same date.
This sentiment was echoed by X user Januar Haikal (@Januarhaikal) who shared a TikTok video showing a whole “Christmas village” brought to life inside the Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC) in Kuala Lumpur!
Tediah! Omputeh pon kalau datang Malaysia terkejut ye dengan decoration krismas dekat Mall kita. Faham je yang it’s vibrant dan almost end of year.
Tapi we need the same energy la kan untuk deko raya nanti. Awas ye Pavilion dan KLCC. Engko dalam watch list 🚨
🎥 Theisabellee.1 pic.twitter.com/z4le2LSq8M
— Januar Haikal (@Januarhaikal) December 7, 2024
Stating that even visitors from Western countries would be astounded, he claimed that he understood that such decor was to create a vibrant and festive atmosphere.
However, he is keenly anticipating similar efforts for Raya, pinpointing Pavillion and KLCC as the malls to keep an eye on.
“Watch out, KLCC! … From Christmas 2023 to CNY 2024, you went to the extent of showcasing your Chinese lake dragon but sadly, you only recycled the same lamp you’ve used for a few years for Raya 2024.”
This sparked a friendly fire from one commenter who wondered “why all the fuss about festive decorations🤦” till the need to make comparison and eventually “showcasing jealousy” to which the poster took a swipe at the commenter for having previously “compared why there was no toll-free privilege for Deepavali”.
Sponsorship issue?
In the name of fairness, the poster clarified that he had previously brought up this issue with regard to Deepavali, contending that he expects “the same level of energy for Raya décor’” lest the malls which did not live up to expectations deserved the “racist” label.
One netizen concurred with Januar Haikal that apart from Christmas and the lunar new year, other festivities were just an irrelevance to some of the malls.
Some netizens surmised that this had to do with sponsors, pointing out that malls had difficulty securing sponsorship for Raya.
One blamed the upper management of these malls which were not Malay/Muslim, hence the lax attitude towards Raya. But this commenter fails to recognise that management of malls such as Suria KLCC were predominantly Malay.
Another netizen made the salient observation that mall managements were free to exercise their imagination with Christmas decorations unlike Raya where they have to be careful with various sensitivities.
One wrong step and a mall could face all sort of brickbats and face potential boycotts. He added that moderate decor was sufficient for Raya with the key focus should instead be accorded on religious values.
This sentiment was echoed by another who observed that that mass commercialism (read mindless consumerism) had become synonymous with Christmas which was just fine. She preferred to focus on spirituality and being charitable during the fasting month.
One netizen hilariously surmised that the reason why there is not much Raya decor in malls is because everyone has balik kampung (went back to their hometowns)!
All said and done, the poster makes a very valid point that the malls should have the same energy for ALL cultural festivals. This is not just about attracting customers or appealing to a certain demographic’s buying power but rather a celebration of diversity and inclusivity.
Each celebration is not exclusive but meant to be enjoyed by all. The management of malls must understand that having bright and colourful decorations isn’t just about one upmanship but making everyone feel part of the festivities regardless of race or religion.
Season’s greetings from FocusM and may all festivities be celebrated with equal vibrancy. – Dec 10, 2024
