By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Oct 30 – The Selangor state-level Deepavali celebration for this year will centre on unity and togetherness, said state executive councillor for human resources and poverty eradication V. Papparaidu.
Scheduled to be held on November 4 at Dataran Klang@Padang Chetty from 7pm to 11pm, he said the event anticipates some 5,000 attendees from various backgrounds, representing the spirit of unity, which is the main theme for this year.
“This year’s theme is ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’. It is a simple and yet important message as we urge all Malaysians to put aside their political and religious differences and celebrate our customs and culture together,” he said at a press conference held at his office at the Selangor State Secretariat Building, here, today.
Papparaidu said that the upcoming event promises a range of activities, with a significant highlight being the allocation of funds to 54 temples in the state, summing up to a substantial RM550,000.
He said that the allocation is channelled to assist temples in carrying out their day-to-day operations and minor renovation projects.
A portion of the funds would also be utilised to support vocational efforts and organise community education programmes, further benefiting the community at large.
“I encourage the temples to use the funds towards educational pursuits, which includes organising computer courses, religious studies, and even providing tuition classes to help the community better,” he said.
Papparaidu said that at the state-level event, the state administration will also distribute cheques to 100 students to help them further their tertiary education, with a total allocation of RM130,000.
He said that Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari is among the honourable guests.
The Hindu community will celebrate Deepavali on November 12, Sunday, this year.
Known as the Festival of Lights, Deepavali signifies the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
