[PHOTOS] Goodbye dark MCO days, hello vibrant Deepavali
This year’s revelry expected to be bright as govt okays interstate travel
Updated 2 years ago · Published on 04 Nov 2021 10:00AM
by Mohd Hazli ‘Bobo’ Hassan
KUALA LUMPUR – If the last Deepavali was marked by melancholy due to the Covid-19 pandemic that ravaged the country, including the enforcement of multiple movement control orders (MCOs), this year’s celebration of the light festival appears to be infinitely more vibrant.
Typical hotspots are now increasingly crowded with visitors eyeing various necessities for the Deepavali carousing today.
The transition to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan in Kuala Lumpur has provided a renewed lease on life to traders whose revenues had been falling.
The presence of Deepavali lightens up the general mood, of course, and bestows a significant boost for entrepreneurs – who welcome not only Indian customers, but also those among Malaysia’s other races.
This is Malaysia, a remarkably diverse country in which every race’s festivities are celebrated equally without discrimination.
Deepavali can be observed by the Malays, Chinese, and so forth from the state of Perlis all the way to Sabah.
The Klang Valley notwithstanding, this year’s revelry is expected to be bright as the government has made travel throughout the country permissible.
Bar the excitement, most state roads and highways are likely to be congested as people take advantage of the opportunity to return to their hometowns after more than a year of being unable to do so.
Meanwhile, temples are being cleaned and beautified in preparation for the arrival of Hindu devotees who had previously been denied entry due to the MCO.
In any event, we should keep in mind that Covid-19 is still present despite the easing of travel restrictions since early last month.
Although 95.7% of the adult population have been fully vaccinated thus far, the government’s multiple standard operating procedures are in place to ensure that a Covid-19 outbreak does not happen.
Here we have The Vibes shutterbugs SAIRIEN NAFIS, AZIM RAHMAN, SADIQ ASYRAF, and SYEDA IMRAN surveying the joyous activities of Indians ahead of the Deepavali celebrations. – The Vibes, November 4, 2021
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