Lantern procession expected to draw thousands

KUALA LUMPUR: A 2.5km lantern procession in historic Chinatown this Saturday is expected to draw thousands of people. The parade, which will kick off at 8pm, is scheduled to be led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

The event is in conjunction with the 1Malaysia Lantern Tourism Festival 2011, which will also see various performances and a games stall carnival from as early as 5.30pm. “We hope this annual event (launched in 2009) will model itself after the popular Taipei Lantern Festival, which has attracted worldwide attention.

Let there be lights: Tourism Ministry public relations officer Izaitul Farah Ibrahim holding a limited edition LED rabbit lantern, which will be available for free to the public on a first-come-first-served basis at the festival this Saturday.

“My Taiwanese counterparts have also agreed to send five of their biggest lanterns to our festival,” Dr Ng said when launching the event at the Malaysia Tourism Centre here yesterday. The event, funded by a RM250,000 allocation from the ministry, is organised in collaboration with Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall (KLCAH).

KLCAH president Datuk Liew Kon Seng said over 200 non-governmental bodies had pledged to attend the event, which was expected to attract almost 40,000 people. These include leaders of major Chinese organisations such as Hua Zong, trade organisations, the seven major Chinese clan associations and tourists. A fireworks display is also set to light up the skies at the end of the event.

The procession will start from Central Market and wind through JalanTun Tan Cheng Lock, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Petaling, where Chinatown traders are located. Last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival event at the same venue attracted 23,000 people. “The parade route will be closed to traffic, so I strongly suggest to the public that they travel by LRT, which conveniently stops at Pasar Seni,” said Dr Ng.

Later at the launch of the book Malaysian Customs and Etiquette in Petaling Jaya, Dr Ng said 12,000 foreigners had entered the country under the Malaysia My Second Home programme. She said they were attracted to the Malaysian way of life. “Tourists are very charmed by some of our customs and etiquette, which we must preserve so that they are not diluted over time,” she said.

-thestar online.