KUALA LUMPUR – Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar livened up a state-level Thaipusam celebration by attending a banquet at a temple in Johor Baru today.
In a Facebook post, His Majesty was seen being greeted by numerous devotees during his visit to the Arulmigu Sri Bala Subramaniar temple.
It was reported that His Majesty spent about 40 minutes at a tent set up for the festival, while providing aid to less fortunate students.
Netizens were pleased with His Majesty’s presence at the celebration, most of whom commented “long live the king” on the post.
Also present at the celebration were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, state Tourism, Environment, Heritage, and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar, and state Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon.
In a statement earlier, Sultan Ibrahim said that Muslims can still attend festivities celebrated by Malaysians of other faiths – provided they do not involve religious rituals – following a fatwa (decree) by the Johor Islamic Religious Council that prohibited Muslims from participating in such rituals.
His Majesty added that various religious scholars considered the act of fulfilling invitations as “harus” (non-obligatory and unsinful). – The Vibes, February 5, 2023
