The Tapah MP said the use of “Diwali” was incorrect, arguing that “Deepavali” was the officially gazetted name of the festival in Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has urged the government to replace the term “Diwali” with “Deepavali” on festive arches and banners displayed across Kuala Lumpur and Brickfields.
In a statement today, the Tapah MP said the use of “Diwali” was incorrect, arguing that “Deepavali” was the officially gazetted name of the festival in Malaysia.
He said he had written to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, with a copy of the letter sent to the Prime Minister, requesting that the terminology be corrected.
Saravanan said the choice of name was significant because a large proportion of Malaysia’s Indian community originated from South India and predominantly spoke Tamil.
He argued that “Deepavali” better reflected the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Tamil-speaking community, while “Diwali” was more commonly used in northern India, particularly among Hindi-speaking communities.
According to Saravanan, Deepavali had long been recognised as the official designation for the festival in Malaysia.
He said using “Diwali” instead could undermine the cultural identity of the Tamil-speaking majority within the country’s Hindu community.
“I strongly urge the minister to immediately replace all instances of ‘Diwali’ with ‘Deepavali’,” he said.
Saravanan added that the issue went beyond terminology, saying the correct name should be used to demonstrate respect for the culture, traditions and dignity of Malaysia’s Tamil-speaking Hindu community.
