‘Declare Deepavali a public holiday in S’wak’

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KUCHING: The calls for Deepavali to be made a public holiday in Sarawak picked up steam with the Indian Association Kuching (IAK) saying it should be done in line with the ‘1Malaysia’ spirit.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT: Ramanair (right) and Ose (left) look on as Dr Rauf (centre) lights up the ‘Kuthu Vilakku’ to mark the dinner.

IAK president Anthony Ramanair said that Deepavali is a major occasion for the minority Indian community, irrespective of religion.

Sarawak is currently the only state in the country which has yet to make Deepavali a public holiday.

Ramanair believed that declaring Deepavali a public holiday could help enhance racial understanding and harmony because non-Indians would have the chance to visit their Indian friends.

“We seriously hope that the state government will declare it a public holiday soon, in the spirit of 1Malaysia,” he said at IAK’s `Deepavali Night’ at the Dewan Suarah here on Saturday.

The dinner was held in conjunction with Deepavali (which falls on Nov 5) and also to raise funds for the IAK building at Rock Road here.

Ramanair, who is a Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) councillor, observed that the city now had a ‘cosmopolitan’ feel, in that people from all races now accept each other’s differences.

“Just like this Deepavali Night, there are many non-Indians who came to support this event,” he enthused.

On the IAK building, Ramanair said it was now 80 per cent completed and it should be ready for use in about two months time.

He said RM1 million had been raised to foot the cost of the building. The funds raised included the RM500,000 received from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in May.

Sited next to a Hindu temple, the building, which will feature Indian cultural and traditional designs, has been estimated to cost RM2.2 million.

“It will have a multi-purpose hall comprising three badminton courts and seats for 500 people. The hall can be rented out for functions and events,” said Ramanair, who is       also the building’s fund raising committee chairman.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Dr Abang Rauf Abang Zain, who was the guest-of-honour, said he could only allocate funds to assist IAK with the building costs next year.

This was because he had used up most of this year’s minor rural project (MRP) funds allocated to him.

He, nonetheless, promised to help IAK in line with the government’s policy to assist all races.

Also present at the dinner was Deputy State Secretary Datu Ose Murang.