Month of September and October 2009

The Month of September is a month of celebrations and festivals in Penang

3rd September - Hungry Gost Festival

The festival, which started on Aug 20 and ends this Friday, is celebrated by Chinese the world over. In Malaysia, the Chinese, notably those from the Hokkien community, celebrate this festival in a big way. The 14th day of the seventh lunar month (which this year fell on Sept 2) is especially important as it is widely believed that the gates of hell are opened and the dead are allowed to roam the earth on this day......read more at the star : Hell-bent on pleasing the dead

(more about other Chinese Festivals and Celebrations)

20-21 September - Hari Raya Adilfitri

This is the first day of the month following Ramadan (a month of fasting and abstinence for Muslims). The celebration begins after sunset on the 29th day of Ramadan when Muslims break their daily fast. If the crescent appears, the next day is declared Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

17 October - Deepavali

Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Festival of Lights which celebrated during the 7th month of the Hindu calendar (usually October or November). Hindus adorn their homes with dozens of lights or oil lamps, called vikku, to signify the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. It is celebrated as the day the evil Narakasura was slain by Lord Krishna.

more about Religious Observations in Malaysia HERE

Make coexistence our guiding light

Make coexistence our guiding light - Tuesday September 1, 2009; The Star

THE controversy over relocation of a temple in Shah Alam shows how racial tolerance may have deteriorated since colonial days and how far apart Malaysians have become.

Those who are ever-so-fiercely territorial about their religious space should learn from our forefathers and take a walk around Jalan Kapitan Keling, Lebuh Cannon and Lebuh Armenian area in the heart of George Town.

Jalan Kapitan Keling, which is often referred to by tourists as “Street of Harmony”, is a very good example of religious tolerance and harmony.

Here we have three 19th century places of worship located within 200m of each other – the Masjid Kapitan Keling, the Goddess of Mercy Temple and Sri Mahamariamman Temple, one of the oldest Hindu temples in Malaysia. Along Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Cannon we have the Acheen Street Mosque, flanked by the Yap Kongsi temple and the Khoo Kongsi.

To the people of George Town these places are their pride and their show of religious tolerance is to be greatly admired and applauded.

The coexistence of these religious places of worship, and acceptance and tolerance of the generations of people who have worshipped there since the 19th century, should be the guiding light to Malaysians today.

MY MALAYSIA, George Town.