Call for Ponggal Open House events
FEDERAL Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has called for Ponggal Open House events in the future.
Nong Chik said this during the first 1Malaysia National Ponggal Celebration held at the Open Car Park in Brickfields yesterday.
“Ponggal is a harvest festival and in Malaysia, most of the padi fields are run by the Malay community so it would be great if the races combined and celebrated Ponggal together,” he added.
Nong Chik also said the open house concept would allow other races to understand the festival, which was well known only among the Indian community.
He added that the Malaysian style of celebrating Ponggal could be brought to India where the Putera MIC members held yearly celebrations.
MIC Information chief P. Kamalanathan said the celebration was important to ensure the traditional festival brought to Malaysia long ago was still practised.
“We should always remember to embrace and celebrate our traditions but we have made the celebrations more Malaysian so we can all take part in the festivities,” said Kamalanathan, who is also the adviser for the event.
More than 500 people got together to cook the Ponggal rice in earthen pots at the celebration, which was hosted by Serba Wangi Sdn Bhd, the FT Ministry and MI Fest Management.
Also present at the event were Nong Chik’s wife, Datin Nafisah Nong Chik, and Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk M. Saravanan.
The highlight of the day was the performance by a trio of Malay Nasyid singers, who sang a Tamil song.
The crowd were blown away by the melodious voices of the young singers who will be releasing a Tamil album in April.
“It took us two months to sit and learn the raaga (Indian classical tones) and we learnt the words by ear.
“We also had our composer teach us the pronunciation,” said Ahmad Fadzli Bakar, 33, a member of the group.
The group, who call themselves Salam, comprises Ahmad, Muad’z Dzulkefly, 31, and Zaidi Rustam, 39, all Nasyid singers.
They came together only to record this album that will be launched in India.
Other performances included a dance by 59-year-old grandmother K. Janaki, the local “Paravai Muniyamma”, who awed the crowd with her fast-paced moves and that by young Nor Atikah Hashim, 11, who danced to a song by famous Indonesian dangdut singer Inul.
Source: The Star Online
