Rightists up in arms over Penang declaring ‘burn thrash’ Hungry Ghost Festival as state heritage

 

THE rightist fraternity whose view of the Hungry Ghost Festival a.k.a. Teong Guan Phor Thor which runs from Aug 13 to Sept 10 this year is one from a distinct religious, cultural and political lenses has admonished DAP-ruled Penang for declaring the event as an official State Intangible Cultural Heritage.

By gazetting opening of the doors of Hades commemoration to allow wandering spirits roam the human world during the seventh lunar month under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011, the Pearl of the Orient has emerged the first state to recognise the festival as state heritage.

The recognition of the Teong Guan Phor Thor Festival in addition to six Heritage Sites reflects the state government’s commitment to protecting Penang’s diverse cultural heritage amid rapid development, according to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

“The relevant nominations also went through detailed screening and vetting by experts through the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Socio-Cultural) Expert Committee, before receiving confirmation from the State Heritage Council and approval from the State EXCO Meeting,” he penned on his Facebook page.

Heritage isn’t merely a legacy of the past. It’s an identity that connects previous generations with the present and a trust that we must pass on to future generations.

We hope that more of Penang’s cultural heritage can be identified, documented and recognised as state heritage in the future.

Unfortunately, news of Penang becoming the first state to recognise the Hungry Ghost Festival as a state heritage as headlined by Malay language news site The Merdeka Times has left many rightists unsettled.

“Malaysia is Tanah Melayu. Don’t bring in other cultures. Don’t recognise nonsensical cultures. This is the outcome of appointing infidels to rule a Muslim country,” berated a Kelantanese commenter.

This is despite a fair-minded Muslim called for constrain among his brethren to respect the cultures of others.

“This has nothing to do with Muslims. After all, Penang is a non-Muslim majority (state) with the Chinese making up majority of its population,” he justified.

“So it’s their right to preserve their culture. We shouldn’t interfere in their affairs. Likewise, we also don’t like non-Muslims interfering in Islamic affairs.”

However, the lone Muslim commenter found himself chastised as a “lapdog” as others who flocked the comment section of the publication ironically founded by Muslim convert preacher Firdaus Wong Wai Hung deemed the practice of praying to “dead ghosts” as a “warisan khurafat” (“superstitious heritage”).

This was when some pious rightists expressed concern that such practice “can invite calamity from Allah”.

“May Penang Muslims not be beset by catastrophe,” prayed some commenters with one lambasted “Malay heritage being sidelined and not recognised”.

“It seems like a DAP ploy to eliminate Malay identity,” he accused.

Elsewhere, one commenter wondered if the Hungry Ghost Festival is also celebrated in China while another mocked the “stupid practice of burning so many joss papers and ghost money at public spaces” by asking “why don’t you just burn it at your house”.

Editor’s Note: While both Singapore and China do celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival, the former allows the burning of joss paper in designated containers while the latter enforces strict municipal bans on manufacturing, selling and burning paper offerings to prevent pollution and promote civic reforms.

Many major cities and local governments across China (including Beijing, Shanghai, and Harbin) ban the sale, production and open burning of ghost money and joss paper.

Generally, authorities classify open burning as a fire risk, an environmental pollutant and a “feudal superstition” thus pushing instead for clean and civilized ancestor worship.

A similar sentiment was also observed on the Facebook page of TV Pertiwi, another rightist-slant news site with the event slammed as a political agenda by DAP to undermine the Malay Muslim majority.

“It has become more glaring since the Malays lost power in Putrajaya. It seems that these tribes are showing their fangs more and more,” fumed one commenter with another lamenting as uncivilised the action of “leaving behind thrash” after each prayer session.

At the end of the day, even the Hungry Ghost Festival can be weaponised as a punching bag to bash DAP. 

- Focus Malaysia