Brickbats hurled at DAP-led Penang for wanting to gazette Hungry Ghost Festival as state heritage

According to State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai (PH-Paya Terubong), all the items – once gazetted – can subsequently be recommended for national gazettement under the National Heritage Act 2005 before being considered for international recognition under UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Amid DAP’s purported shaky grip on Penang given the PAS onslaught especially on the mainland, the Hungry Ghost Festival surely makes a viable  political bullet for the Islamic party and its diehard supporters to troll the former.

This can be seen from the barrage of insults levelled at DAP-led Pennag for wanting to uplift the stature of a so-called pendatang (migrant) heritage on the Sinar Harian’s Facebook page.

“Having only just landed in Tanah Melayuu less than 200 years ago, already thought of making their custom a state legacy,” berated one opposition-slant rightist.

Others insinuated against allowing too much room for the so-called pendatang folks who were brought in by the British imperialist to flex their influence.

But eventually the Hungry Ghost Festival’s conflict with Islamic teachings makes it an ideal platform to go on the offensive against DAP.

“The DAP is truly a party of evil ghosts and demons,” mocked one commenter with another considered it as “a gift for Penang Malays who are lapdogs to DAPig’s”.

As such, Malays are reminded of their misstep by having voted for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in the previous general election. “There’re various ways indeed for this tribe to change Penang’s identity,” rued one opposition-slant netizen.

Therefore, it is only timely that the Malays unite as a political force to unseat DAP or “better still if the state has a Malay ruler”.

At the end of the day, one commenter was spot on that “the tribe really care about their own race, they don’t switch their vote support and so on”.

“I want to add this to the upcoming election. It really shows their efforts to take care of the interests and culture of their own race. I hope the Malays can learn from this example. Don’t be divided until the votes, too, get divided.” 

- focus malaysia