MELAKA: State Health and Anti-Drugs Committee chairman Low Chee Leong wishes he could travel back in time to the carefree 1980s where celebrations like Ponggal were festivities for all.
“We live in a tolerant society until the advent of smartphones that made many of us regress to the point of not cherishing our good old harmonious way of living.
“Now you hear that Ponggal or even the mooncake (Mid-Autumn) festivals are celebrations of certain ethnicities, and some stay away from joining in,” Low said after buying claypots, milk bottles and oil lamps at Little India in Jalan Bendahara here on Saturday night.
The items were meant to be distributed to the Indian Peranakan community at Gajah Berang and three single mothers with children at Kota Laksamana here.
According to the Tamil calendar, Ponggal is usually celebrated in mid-January.
Low said Ponggal is also celebrated by the Beijing and Guangdong Tamil Sangam societies in China .
He said the festival is also hugely popular in South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Fiji, Suriname, Britain, Singapore, Canada and the United States.
Low said he used to join his friends to celebrate Ponggal at temple grounds and community halls when he was a teenager.
“We didn’t see Ponggal as a celebration for the Indians only.
“It doesn’t seem the same now. Although the digital age should help mould the new generation to think out of the box, sadly, it is not the case,” he added.
Low said Chief Minister Adly Zahari wants the spirit of the 1980s to reverberate in the heart of Melakans.
“That was the reason the state government allows civil servants who are celebrating Ponggal to be granted leave and allocations to be given to decorate Little India,” Low said.
Low said the Chief Minister hopes to minimise racial discrimination and provide opportunities across the board.
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