Siamese festivals must be preserved

PASIR MAS: The Loy Krathong and Songkran festivals celebrated by the Siamese community should be preserved to enhance the diversity of arts and culture in the country.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said these festivals were promoted as annual events to ensure they continued to flourish among the younger generation.

“The Siamese community, numbering about 60,000, are bumiputra. As the minister in charge of culture, I feel it is necessary to preserve this culture heritage to ensure the custom is not lost,” he said after opening the Kelantan state-level Loy Krathong Festival at Wat Uttamaram, Kampung Teresek here.

Mohamed Nazri said all Malaysians should respect the customs of all races in the country for the sake of national unity and harmony. — Bernama