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The controversial Deepavali celebrations at Ipoh Little India was launched on Friday by Lim Kit Siang. At the same time, a nationwide campaign calling for the ban on the Hindraf movement to be lifted.

Lim Kit
Siang urged traders and patrons of
Little India to mark this year’s Deepavali celebrations with a
unified voice condemning the ban.

But there’s no mention on who organised the campaign. DAP? Pakatan Rakyat? Perak state?

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After a war of words between the has-been and the current boss, Ipoh’s Little India is all set to be bathed in lights today. I guess the traders and community are relieved that their rice bowl and entertainment is not affected. As I mentioned many times, people are less bothered with who does it anymore. MIC, PKR, DAP, PAS, Gerakan - doesn’t matter. There’s no more loyalty to parties. Last time MIC used to organise the Deepavali bazaar (naturally because they were part of the ruling government). Now its Pakatan’s turn. According to the Star, the rental are lower this year, and the same traders are still given chance to take up the trading lots. Part of the money collected from the stalls rental will be given as aid to Sathia Devi, and the balance to build and arch in Little India.

The Deepavali bazaar and celebrations at Little India will begin early with trading starting today and cultural shows on Thursday.

Perak executive councillor A. Sivanesan said 86 stalls had been set up for the celebrations. Local artistes will be performing daily from 7.30pm to 11.30pm in the cultural nights until the last day of the bazaar on Oct 25.

Sivanesan said Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang would launch the Deepavali celebrations at Little India.

A committee, consisting of state government officers and members of non-governmental organisations and traders’ associations, had decided to rent out the stalls to the same operators who took part in last year’s celebrations.

The stalls would be let out to traders once they have paid a fee of between RM200 and RM450. The fee is based on the location and size of the stall. Last year, the stalls were rented out for between RM500 and RM1,000.

Sivanesan, who visited Little India yesterday, said the committee estimated the stalls would yield a collection of some RM25,000. Part of the proceeds collected would be donated to the family of student S. Sathiah Devi, 23, whose mother and the family’s sole breadwinner died recently in Sitiawan, he added. “The balance will be used to build an arch in Little India,” Sivanesan said, adding that there had been requests from the people for an arch.

If anyone can take some pictures of the bazaar, please share!

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I don’t know what to say. Maybe have to bang my head on the wall!!! Small town like Ipoh also getting bad name no thanks to politicians.

The city’s Little India is shaping out to be a battle scene for two political parties fighting for the right to hold their own grand Deepavali celebration.

Perak executive councillor A. Sivanesan from Pakatan Rakyat is crossing swords with an equally determined Perak MIC chairman Datuk G. Rajoo over the matter.

Sivanesan said the state government rejected Rajoo’s application yesterday to hold the celebration in Little India as the Ipoh Barat MIC had been organising the event over many years “to make profits.” Rajoo is Ipoh Barat chairman.

He added that Pakatan planned to organise the annual event this time with the backing and participation of local hawkers, businessmen and organisations.

“We have received complaints from traders that, in the past, Ipoh Barat MIC never involved the public when organising the celebration.

“This time the community will decide with Pakatan on how the celebration should be done,” he told reporters at the state secretariat yesterday.

Sivanesan, who is also state Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman, accused the MIC of making profit from the festival through sales of trading lots.

“But we (Pakatan) are not doing it to make money. As a veteran politician, Rajoo should understand that the final decision is in the hands of the state executive council,” he said.

A defiant Rajoo, however, said Ipoh Barat MIC would carry on with its preparations for the Deepavali celebration, which they had been doing for the past 16 years, as they were doing it legally.

He said they had received approval in May from the Ipoh City Council for the week-long celebration.

“We paid RM2,770 for the lots and we were issued an official receipt. We’ve even received payment for 83 stalls,” he said, adding that the state government was being unfair and that Sivanesan should not have meddled as the council was an independent body.

Rajoo also denied that MIC made a profit from the event, adding that the party had even subsidised the traders.

issues:
1. profit. MIC says no profit but actually gives subsidy. state says MIC makes profit.
- very easy. MIC can expose how much it charges per lot. By right, they paid RM2770 (total or per day?) to Ipoh city council, and created 83 lots. That means a lot is only RM876.75. So, if the charge is extra RM50 for electricity, water, and miscellaneous expenses, still OK. Of course, they have to show last year’s records as well. Then we can know who is lying.

2. public. state plans to involve community and alleges MIC never did so.
- This is publicity stunt. Obviously Pakatan will get feedback from all quarters, especially the business community and perhaps many “new” Pakatan supporters will try their luck. The community was with MIC previously so can get something, now the community sway towards Pakatan…also hoping to get something.

3. legality. MIC already have approval from city council, but state government rejected it.
- This is critical issue. Is this interference by state government? Who has the legality to approve or reject the application? Can MIC sue the council?

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