Bang goes proposal for firecracker ban

 

The call for a total ban on firecrackers and other variants of fireworks is a long time coming.

Too many children are getting hurt — in this case, even one child is one too many.

Properties have been damaged or destroyed too, when a loose explosive device lands on the roof of a kampung house.

After all, these projectiles are not guided missiles. We cannot control their trajectory, so they land at the most unexpected places.

The firecracker in its many variants is a must for every cultural and religious festival in Malaysia today — Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and Christmas, and even New Year’s Eve.

If there is one thing that breaks all racial and religious barriers to make us truly one nation and one people, it must be our love for that explosive.

Back in the day, the practice of making all that noise and sparks with an incendiary, volatile and inflammable mixture wrapped in paper was purely a Chinese tradition. It has always been a must during the Chinese New Year festivity.

The custom had its beginnings in the days when evil spirits and monsters supposedly roamed the earth and attacked villages.

At least that is what we have been told by our elders, who themselves would have learned it from theirs.

According to the legend firecrackers were set off to scare the life out of these unearthly beings so they did not cause mischief or, worse, attack the poor villagers.

Ironically, the name of the monster-in-chief happens to be “Nian”, which is also the Chinese character for “year”. Is it then a coincidence that the firecracker is a must during the Chinese New Year celebration? Who knows?

But while these ancient beliefs have waned with progress, the custom of setting off firecrackers has not only persisted but even been adopted by other communities, as is the case in Malaysia. Of course that is good for business, but that is a story for another day.

It is not clear why the Muslims, Hindus and Christians do it. Do they also have evil spirits to chase away? In any case, it probably wouldn’t scare Lucifer or Shayāṭīn a bit.

Perhaps we should learn to let go of traditions that no longer seem logical, especially those that cause us more harm than any evil spirit or monster.

Letting the tradition go is not that culturally revolutionary. For instance some cultures, like the Chinese, have done away with worshipping the moon.

And for those, for whom the practice of setting off explosives has never been a part of their tradition, perhaps they should go back to their roots, and find a less dangerous way to mark their festivals.

Otherwise, we could opt for a less dicey but equally spectacular alternative. AI has done many things thought impossible just a few years ago.

Now we have the capability to simulate an equally eye-catching and noisy display with lights and sound.

Best of all, nobody gets hurt. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.