No 'yellow and green' ban for JB Chingay do

Organisers of the Johor Chingay procession are offering different opinions about whether t-shirts expressing opposition to the Lynas rare earth refinery or support for the Bersih 2.0 movement can be worn by event spectators.

While the Johor Baru Old Chinese Temple committee chairperson Lim Kang Yong said that the public are discouraged from wearing such apparel, the event's chief coordinator Yap Yuan Ming said that this was not true.

Yap told Sin Chew Daily that a dress code was only applicable to the participating Chingay team, who must wear a uniform provided by the organisers.

“We have green and yellow on our uniform. This proves that the committee does not have restriction on colours.

“However, the uniform must carry the organiser’s logo,” he said, adding that it is a tradition for Chingay team to wear the uniform.

Previously, Lim had publicly announced the new guidelines, drawing flak online, among others, for stifling dissent.

On Friday, Lim told Malaysiakini that during the same event last year, organisers had convince a group of spectators from showing up in similar garb.

“This is only a parade of deities, we should avoid any political elements,” he said.

However, a host of BN politicians will be the VIPs of the event, including Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The event, which will take place on Feb 27, was declared by Putrajaya as a national cultural heritage event last year due to its 140-year-old history.