Appreciation For Better Management Of Festive Gatherings In Malaysia

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THAIPUSAM will be celebrated on Feb 11, and more than 2.5 million devotees as well as domestic and foreign tourists are expected this year.
Thaipusam is the only festival that draws such large crowds in the country and the first thing that comes to mind is the safety and security aspect of organising this mega colourful event.
Fortunately for Malaysia all concerned have ensured that there is no major untoward incident which could dent the smooth passage of this votary celebration.
Despite such large numbers gathering in a small space in both the Batu Caves and the Penang Temple where the majority of the nation’s Hindu worshippers converge, nothing is overlooked for the safety and convenience of the devotees.
Unlike a decade back, better organisation by the temple management, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups have ensured that the temple grounds are kept litter-free and tidy despite the hectic activities and rituals of the crowd of worshippers.
Food distribution is now managed better and wastage has been reduced due to better estimates of the needs of the worshippers. More focus is also shown towards the surroundings and environmental pollution has been minimised.
The temple authorities have incrementally over the years added new facilities and brought about a better system to manage both the devotees and people to ease the congestion.
The Batu Caves temple has become a major tourist attraction drawing large crowds of people hailing from different countries and practising diverse faiths.
(Image: The Star)With stricter Islamic guidelines being proposed on Muslim government leaders attending diverse celebrations and festivals nationwide, the Thaipusam celebrations in the future will have to make do without the participation of the top government leadership.
Inviting the prime minister and other leaders to grace the event has been a well-received tradition, and it sometimes also comes with large financial allocations from the government to improve facilities in the temples.
The Batu Caves temple is more accessible to tourists who can closely witness the ceremonies and rituals of the celebration.
This is more convenient unlike the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh India, where the tens of millions of devotees are a formidable barrier for tourists to witness closely many of the Hindu rituals as well as the devotees’ ceremonial dipping in the Ganges River.
This year’s Maha Kumbh Mela has drawn hundreds of millions of Hindu devotees as this auspicious event occurs once every 144 years. The Kumbh Mela witnessed a stampede last week and 30 people were reportedly killed.
Instances like these where large crowds gather are prone to stampedes as have happened in the past in both the Kumbh Melas and the Haj.
Fortunately in Malaysia such tragedies do not occur and this can be attributed to the organisers, the leaders, the people, the NGOs, the police and government authorities who ensure that the event passes without any problems.
Despite being one of the world’s largest gatherings within a limited space the nation can be proud of hosting this event in an exemplary manner.
With 2026 slated as the Visit Malaysia Year, the government needs to provide sufficient assistance and allocations to add more facilities and amenities as well as spruce up the surroundings of the two major temples as well as others hosting the Thaipusam celebrations.
In addition, the authorities must ensure that locals and tourists compliment and appreciate the government’s goodwill and efforts in promoting religious acceptance as well as tourism, which is one of the main contributors to the economy.
V. Thomas is a Focus Malaysia viewer.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT. 
- Focus Malaysia.

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