Several George Town roads to be closed for Wesak procession

 

A worker putting last-minute touches to a float for the Wesak Day procession. (Buletin Mutiara pic)

GEORGE TOWN: Several roads around George Town will be closed tomorrow to make way for the Penang Wesak Day procession, which is expected to attract over 25,000 visitors.

Timur Laut police chief Soffian Santong said the eight-kilometre procession scheduled at 7pm would start and end in Jalan Burma, in front of the Penang Buddhist Association building.

“Thirty teams, comprising 200 members, will participate in the decorative floats and there will also be a parade of decorated vehicles.

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“Jalan Burma, Jalan Pangkor, Jalan Kelawai, Lorong Burma, Jalan Perak, Lebuhraya Peel, Jalan Macalister, Jalan Anson and Lorong Madras will be closed in stages from 7pm to 10pm tomorrow,” he told a press conference here today.

He said 123 police personnel will be on duty during the Wesak Day celebration tomorrow to control traffic and the crowd. He advised the public to abide by the instructions given to avoid untoward incidents and to facilitate movement during the procession.

Soffian also advised road users to plan their journeys to avoid getting caught in traffic jams and for visitors attending the procession to leave their valuables behind to protect themselves from pickpockets.

Wesak Day is observed by Buddhists as a religious event to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Siddharta Gautama Buddha.

Meanwhile, Soffian said the Silver Chariot procession to celebrate the Chitraparuvam Festival, also known as “mini Thaipusam”, would also take place tomorrow from 6pm, beginning at Lebuh King and ending at the Jalan Air Terjun temple, which is a 10-kilometre route.

“However, the route is different from the one being used for the Wesak Day procession and there will be no road closure for the Silver Chariot procession as not many people will be involved,” he said, adding that the chariot is expected to arrive at 6am on May 6.

He said the Silver Chariot would be making two stops, namely at the Lebuh Victoria and Jalan Datuk Keramat temples, unlike during Thaipusam when several locations and big crowds were involved. - FMT