KLANG, 14 SEPT: Despite the changing times, for the Tiong Hua community, the full moon which shines during the Mid-Autumn Festival still mean togetherness, family and unity.
Celebrated at the end of the harvest season, this festival celebrates separated families and reunion. This festival also commemorates the work of the peasant group, that struggles throughout the year and takes this opportunity to jointly share the harvest.
These beautiful values prompted the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, along with 1,00 citizen of Klang to celebrate the festival at Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang, despite the occasional drizzle throughout the night.
The banquet which was enlivened with the presence of citizens of Klang, from senior citizens to young children, including the Klang Member of Parliament, Charles Santiago, Member of the Datin Paduka Central Council, Dr Tan Yee Kew and the Chairman of the Bandar Bukit Tinggi Residents Association, Gan Ee Chai.
After giving a casual speech, Abdul Khalid, who is also the Port Klang Assemblyman, and the people celebrated with lion and dragon dances. Various firecrackers flooded the celebration with different colours and sounds.
Although special lanterns could not be released into the air because the rain did not allow it, the public respectively carried small lanterns hung at the end of short sticks. Lanterns were also hung at permitted areas. Indeed, this festival cannot be separated with lanterns, which brings a variety of meanings according to different beliefs and local history.
Once upon a time, in Pingxi, the village people released lanterns into the air to bring good news to neighbouring villages that they were protected from rogues.
In this celebration, Khalid and attendees carried lanterns and walked around Bandar Bukit Tinggi to meet and mingle with the people of Klang. Perhaps he also brought good news to the people of Selangor that we are one big family, and that their welfare is protected under the State Government under his leadership.
