A Chingay tradition now with Johor Sultan, Crown Prince

Second year for Sultan Ibrahim at close of Chinese New Year celebrations in state capital, as Tunku Ismail joins ruler after having graced Thaipusam festival last week.

PETALING JAYA: The Sultan of Johor seems intent on making it a tradition for a state ruler to join his people in celebrating their respective festivals by turning up again this year at the annual Chingay parade in Johor Bahru.

Yesterday, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and the Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail, attended the gala event which marked the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations, The Star reported.

There were shouts of “Daulat Tuanku” from the thousands of Johoreans at the event when Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Ismail arrived for the celebration at 9pm, to launch the Chingay parade down the streets of the state capital.

Last year, apart from gracing the Chingay parade, Sultan Ibrahim had also attended the Thaipusam celebrations at the Sri Murugan temple in the small town of Renggam, in Kluang district.

However, in his absence, Tunku Ismail did the honours for the Thaipusam festival last week by attending the state-level Thaipusam celebration held at the Sri Subramaniar Paribalana Saba Temple in Masai, Johor Bahru.

Sultan Ibrahim made history last year by being the first Johor ruler to attend the parade in the state.

According to The Star, the Chingay parade involved deities of the five main clans in Johor – Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese and Hainanese – being taken on a 9km tour on foot to bless the city and its people.

The requisite lion and dragon dance performances synonymous with CNY celebrations were also part of the parade with the sounds of exploding firecrackers ringing out throughout the four-hour long event.

Also attending the event were the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wee Ka Siong, Singapore consul-general in Johor Baru Rajpal Singh, Johor Tourism Committee chairman Tee Siew Kiong and Johor Baru Tiong-Hua Association president Tey Kim Chai. FMT