WHEN thousands descended on the Esplanade on Saturday for the return of the Bon Odori festival, many in the crowd didn't realise that their presence was cementing the legacy of a former state executive councilor, whose life was taken away by Covid-19.
The affable Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen passed away due to complications from the dreaded virus last year. But what many people didn't know was that it was the 74-year-old who brought the Japanese classic festival to first Penang and now Malaysia.
She battled the virus for over a month in the intensive care unit but, like up to over six million others globally, the virus was simply overpowering. The former Tourism Malaysia deputy chairperson breathed her last on August 4, last year.
Bon Odori is essentially akin to the Chinese custom of the Hungry Ghost festival, which is to honour ancestors who have passed on. But the Japanese have incorporated more cultural elements such as dances, recitals, arts, and food to showcase their festival.
In 1995, when Kee first mooted the event, residents here, even the Japanese expatriates working in the manufacturing sector here, were apprehensive ... for nobody had even given a second thought to having such a festival in Penang.
But the country was also at the forefront of the "Look East" policy championed by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. So there was a willingness to learn the culture of the northern hemisphere neighbours from China to Koreans and of course, Japan, whose astounding rise as a global industrial powerhouse, had impressed many people here.
To encourage participants, Kee took to the stage herself, clad in a kimono to take part in the delicate Bon Odori dance moves at the Botanical Gardens that year.
It was the pioneering Bon Odori event and since then it has become an annual feature – alluring enough to be listed in the tourism calendar of events.
It first drew hundreds but today, Kee would be impressed to see that up to some 20,000 people from all walks of life, including foreign tourists, came to soak in the atmosphere at the Esplanade on a sweaty Saturday.
Kee was proclaimed by the Wall Street Journal in 2004 as the godmother of Penang, as rightly in an endearing tribute by former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, she pioneered the promotion of multi-cultural occasions as tourism events in 1992, starting with Chap Goh Meh (15th Day of Chinese New Year), which later became the Chinese New Year Street Party, Pasar Ramadhan, Deepavali “Festival of Lights”, Christmas Party, Japanese “Bon Odori,” and many more.
These festive events became so successful in attracting not only tourists but also participation by locals in the thousands that they eventually evolved to become annual national events sponsored by the federal government. They were held by rotation in various states, and graced by the prime minister or even the king or sultan, Koh wrote.
And for this year's event, the Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak together with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, his predecessor Lim Guan Eng, Japanese Ambassador Takahashi Katsuhiko, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, Orikasa Hiroyuki and state exco member in charge of tourism, Yeoh Soon Hin graced the event.
Yeoh paid tribute to Kee by attending the event, clad in a male kimono and later joined Orikasa on stage in an impromptu performance of the Odori dance.
As the evening progressed, the crowd began to swell to thousands, as they came to enjoy everything touristry about the occasion.
There were up to 100 stalls selling Japanese food and of course, the local cuisine and food trucks captured the attention of the hungry by showcasing fusion food.
Then, there were cultural performances from the martial arts form of aikido to drum beating troupes and musical recitals by the Han Chiang Junior College.
The young and the old took turns to thrill the crowd with various performances.
Penang director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) office, Jonathan Freddy P. Bagang was seen beaming, saying that the festival also marks a progressive return of tourism.
He was appreciative of the effort by the local community, as while they celebrate the occasion, they have also indirectly promoted it as a tourism event for foreigners.
Jonathan hopes more cultural events can be organised to enhance tourism.
Ambassador Takahashi singled out the Penang Japanese Association, the Malaysian Japanese Society, the Japan Graduates Association of Malaysia northern branch, the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships and the Consulate-General of Japan for their role in bringing the event back.
The event was halted for the last two years due to Covid-19.
Chow said that looking beyond Bon Odori, the event is a testament to the long-standing friendship shared between Penang and Japan.
"It is an occasion worthy of celebration as we foster a deeper and stronger relationship with our Japanese counterparts in this era of globalisation."
Penang is fortunate to be a haven for the international community, who reside here, Chow said. – The Vibes, July 31, 2022
