Celebrate Not Suppress Cultural Diversity

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It's amazing how Malaysia had six different festivals recently.
Five were on April 14 - Siamese Songkran and the New Years for our Tamil, Sikh, Malayalee and Bengali Indian communities - all in conjunction with the full moon.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim conveyed greetings to all five groups. In addition, the National Songkran Festival was held earlier (April 11 to 13) at Pengkalan Hulu, northern Perak.
The day before, there was also Christian Palm Sunday. This is celebrated with a procession in Malacca, when the faithful wave palm branches to commemorate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
Historically, Chinese and Indian Peranakans who married Malays (Baba Nyonyas and Chettis) used to join the procession even though they were not Christian.
And they described Palm Sunday as “Datok Pikul Balak”, or “Lord carrying a log (the cross)”. Five days later, the crucifixion on Good Friday, is called "Datok Mati" (the Lord dies).
All this obviously comes from historical cultural mingling in Malacca.
PAS against Songkran?
All our delicious cultural rojak is an asset. Our tourism slogan for 2026 remains “Malaysia Truly Asia”, highlighting our diverse wealth of traditions.
Anwar said Putrajaya aims to receive 35 million visitors and generate RM147 billion in revenue for various sectors in both urban and rural areas.
However, some people missed the memo and spoke out against diversity.
On April 10, Penang PAS information chief Fawwaz Mat Jan asked the state government to ban a Songkran party organised by a beach resort at Batu Feringghi.
Penang PAS information chief Fawwaz Mat JanHe claimed that it was “indecent Western culture” that would challenge “Malaysians’… noble values and Eastern manners”.
It was shocking of him to label Songkran as “Western culture” just because the promotional poster featured some Mat Sallehs.
Understand this: tourists joining in the watery splashy fun of Songkran at Bangkok or Phuket don't make the festival “Western”, they make it “inclusive”.
Also, does Fawwaz realise that Siamese Malaysians are actually bumiputera?
Please go ahead and practise your conservative Muslim culture but don't impose it on others by claiming it's “Malaysian”. Not all of us are Muslims.
Even among Muslims, I saw that many ignored PAS when it told Malays not to attend the Japanese Bon Odori festival in Shah Alam.
DAP MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid added that Fawwaz also contradicted Kedah PAS, which had allowed a Songkran festival to promote local tourism.
DAP MP Syerleena Abdul RashidSuch double talk only invites ridicule, just as when PAS was caught on video buying votes but then claimed it was not bribery but “sedekah” (donations).
PAS should practice “noble values” not by banning non-Muslim culture but by looking in the mirror - refraining from both vote buying and hypocrisy.
Rewriting history
Kedah has a Hindu-Buddhist history but the Umno-linked group Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) cannot accept this and protested outside Universiti Sains Malaysia on April 11, after Friday prayers.
Protest what? An international conference of professors discussing Kedah history.
Yet, back in 1982, my Form 3 history textbook said Kedah's Bujang Valley had "candi" or sites of Hindu-Buddhist temples.
I've been to the Bujang Valley Museum and seen those candi myself. Recently, a Buddha statue was unearthed near here by USM archaeologist Nasha Rodziadi Khaw.
The site where the Buddha’s statue was foundI'm not sure what the big fuss is about because even Arabs prayed to idols before Islam.
And Bahasa Melayu itself is also full of Indian language words including "syurga" (heaven), "neraka" (hell), "dosa” (sin) and yes "agama" (religion) itself. Even the word bumiputera comes from Sanskrit.
Yet, according to historian Ranjit Singh Malhi, our “revised” school history textbooks fail to explain how Hindu-Buddhist culture influenced the Malays.
Sadly, he stated that the contributions of non-Malays in building this country have been reduced to “a few sentences” in current history textbooks.
What has been ignored includes Chinese tin miners and businesses who built many of our towns, and the “sweat, blood and tears” of Indian labourers who tapped rubber and endured malaria to build our roads and railways.
Anyway, the Pekida protest ended up having only a few Indian-Muslim leaders shouting at the roadside (with no crowd) against their own ancestral Indian heritage. There is irony there.
Dress code for history?
On the same day (April 11), there was a talk by Leonard Andaya at Universiti Malaya’s history department.
He is a renowned Filipino-American professor of Southeast Asian History who retired from the University of Hawaii. I enjoyed reading his book titled “History of Malaysia” and the talk was on his 4th edition.
However, to attend it, men had to wear a songkok (with full baju Melayu or long-sleeve batik) while ladies had to don a long (labuh) baju kurung or baju kebaya.
I love batik but don't have a songkok, so I couldn't attend. Nor could a Mat Salleh wearing a suit and tie.
Similarly, even a Nyonya Kebaya - now recognised as Unesco world heritage - was not allowed because it's shorter and sexier than the kebaya labuh.
Yet the book is called “History of Malaysia”, not History of the Malays.
By right, anyone in traditional Indian sari, Chinese cheongsam, Iban ngepan indu or Kadazan sinuangga should have been able to enter, or those in smart office wear, for that matter.
It seems the reason for the dress code is that a royal person was attending. I fully respect that dress code protocol is required for palace events.
But I am puzzled why Malaysia's “premier university” would insist on it for a “public lecture” - at a venue paid for by taxpayers of all races.
We should remember that our Jata Negara or national Coat of Arms declares “Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”.
That means unity amidst diversity adds value and strength to our country.
So please, let's celebrate our rich multicultural wealth. Whether in our various festivals or history. - Mkini
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at [email protected].
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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