Message
YAB TAN SRI DATO’ SERI ABDUL KHALID BIN IBRAHIM
DATO’ MENTERI BESAR OF SELANGOR
In conjunction with the DIWALI CELEBRATION 2013
Greetings and Well Wishes, especially to the Hindu community.
This Saturday, 2 November 2013, the Hindu community, in Selangor and Malaysia, will be celebrating Diwali.
I, on behalf of the State Government leadership and the people of Selangor, wish Happy Diwali to all Hindus.
Hopefully, as it is every year, this year the Indian community and Hindus in Selangor will benefit from the Diwali celebrations by performing a number of traditional activities together with family and loved ones.
We know that Deepavali or Diwali means festival of lights, and is celebrated on the 13th day of the Hindu calendar, or equivalent to the date between mid-October and mid-November, every year. On the eve of the celebration, Hindus decorate their houses with oil lamps, depicting the triumph of good over evil. The lights are left overnight in a clean room with hopes that goddess Lakshmi would visit.
The Diwali celebration is also accompanied by the burning of firecrackers or fireworks, aimed at banishing evil spirits from the family home. They also adorn themselves with new clothes and share sweets with family and friends.
Diwali day is a holiday in Malaysia and other countries including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Singapore and Fiji. It terms of celebration practices, Malaysian Hindus still retain some traditions practiced in India.
However, the matter of emphasis in Selangor and in Malaysia is the “open house” tradition, where Hindus, of all ethnic groups such as Tamils, Telugus and Malayalees, welcome friends of other religions and races to their home to enjoy a “halal” meal together.
The atmosphere of visiting while wishing “happy festive day…” is actually the “uniqueness” in Malaysia’s plural society, which shows goodwill and close ties between those of different races and religious beliefs, when festive celebrations of the large races in Malaysia, with a population of over 28 million, comes about.
Over 5 million from the amount live in Selangor Darul Ehsan, and are the people of Duli Yang Maha Mulia (His Royal Highness) the Sultan of Selangor. Now, the majority of people in Selangor enjoy a variety of assistance and initiatives through the Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor policy, which is implemented fairly and prudently by the Pakatan Rakyat State Government in Selangor since March 2008.
As the Dato’ Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Selangor, I am very happy and excited when I was informed that the people in this state, from various ethnicities and levels, from young to old, can equally enjoy a variety of assistance, incentives and guidance from the State Government for the benefit of all.
Thank you.
Happy Diwali.