Bon Odori returns to Penang this Saturday

GEORGE TOWN – Hundreds of visitors are expected to throng the Esplanade grounds here this Saturday as the Bon Odori festival is back in Penang.

After the recent controversies over the festival, state tourism exco Yeoh Soon Hin said the event will be held from 5pm to 11pm, with more than 100 stalls offering Japanese food and cultural items.

He said in a press conference that hundreds of people are expected to participate in the event.

“It is seen as a testament of the prosperous trade between Malaysia and Japan, as well as a fruitful friendship between the two.”

Meanwhile, the consul-general of Japan in Penang, Orikasa Hiroyuki, and his team have promised a good time at Bon Odori after the event was cancelled last year due to the travel restrictions.

He also expressed appreciation to the Penang government for allowing the event.

“This year marks 65 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia. The festival will be a great opportunity to introduce Japanese culture, traditions, and food.”

Last month, religious affairs minister Datuk Idris Ahmad advised Muslims not to participate in the Japanese festival as it contains elements of other religions and could lead to confusion, affecting Muslims’ beliefs.

And this, he added, was based on studies and the views of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).

This then ignited a firestorm and intense public debate, which was somehow put to rest after Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah decreed that the state Islamic Religious Department (Jais) should not obstruct anyone from attending the event.

The sultan also warned Idris not to issue confusing and inaccurate statements that would undermine Jakim’s image and reputation, and suggested that the minister attend the festival to see for himself the difference between culture and religion.

Sultan Sharafuddin had ordered Jais and Shah Alam City Council officers to attend the festival to see the event for themselves.

In another development, Yeoh also announced the launch of Batik Air’s Penang-Melaka direct flights, effective September 12 this year.

According to Yeoh, this flight route is the ninth domestic one that departs from the Penang International Airport, and is a catalyst that builds a solid foundation to cement the Penang-Melaka dual Unesco World Heritage Sites status.

“During my official visit to Melaka in 2019, I put forth the idea to spur tourism economy via the Penang-Melaka dual heritage site tourism programme, which is parked under the larger vision of promoting the tourism and culture of both destinations,” he said.

Yeoh explained that the although the initial programme was hampered by the pandemic, the opportunities and silver lining are starting to prevail with the launch of this Penang-Melaka direct flight. – The Vibes, July 25, 2022