TO encourage families to appreciate cultural heritage, the ‘Pesta Tanglong Sempena Hari Malaysia’ is set to take place at the Sungai Pinang Basketball Court on Sept 10.
The festival is organised by Sungai Pinang service centre, Jelutong parliamentary constituency service centre, Sungai Pinang Village Community Management Council, Relanita Sungai Pinang and Sungai Pinang Youth Committee.
Sungai Pinang assemblyman Lim Siew Khim said traditional cultural practices play a pivotal role in strengthening family ties.
“Those days I remember when we played with our traditional ‘tanglung’ (Chinese lantern) during a festivity, parents and children would play together.
“The whole atmosphere would be vibrant.
“Now, it is all missing and that is why we decided to hold this event to promote and educate the public about our cultural heritage.
“Candles were used to light up the traditional Chinese lanterns but now the modern ones use LEDs,” Lim said during a press conference at her service centre today.
Lim said there will be an orchestral performance using traditional instruments, such as the ukulele and gu zheng as well as a choir performance at the event.
“There will also be DIY booths so that the public can be taught how to make traditional crafts like tanglung and others.
“An elderly person will also be there to teach how to make a grasshopper with coconut leaf.
“We decided to include the senior citizens in our programme to let them know that they are important and getting old does not stop them from contributing to society.
“There will be also a DIY booth where visitors will be taught how to make mooncakes,” Lim added.
The event will also include a food fair, which will be organised by SJKC Moh Ghee Cawangan’s Parent-Teacher Association to raise funds for the school’s extra curriculum activities.
On the day, visitors can also look forward to a tanglung parade accompanied by a lion dance around the Karpal Singh Drive neighbourhood (starting from Sungai Pinang Basketball Court to Taman Areca, Automall and back to the basketball court).
Other programmes include family photo booth (6 pm- 7pm), games (6pm -9pm), dragon dance (10.10 pm – 11 pm) performance by JET kinderland pupils (9:45 pm – 10.10pm).
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Law Suun Ting