One of the things Malaysians look forward to every major holiday is the mall decor. Every year, shopping centres across the country, especially those in the Klang Valley, will put on the best display to celebrate the festive season. However, there have been claims that some tend to prioritise one holiday over another.
With Christmas approaching, some are starting to notice this pattern after malls have launched their Christmas campaigns. Could this be a case of favouritism or simply a lack of funds and sponsorship? Let’s take a look:
Over the weekend, Twitter user Januar Haikal expressed his amazement at the vibrant and extravagant Christmas decorations in KL shopping malls, specifically the one at Bangsar Shopping Centre. However, he felt that the same effort should be made for the Hari Raya celebrations. To support his opinion, he posted two photos to compare the Raya decorations with the Chinese New Year decorations at Suria KLCC. “They put up a dragon for the CNY decorations but have used the same Pelita display for Hari Raya for the past few years,” he wrote.
The man also brought up the time when certain malls skipped the Deepavali celebrations and went straight to Christmas in 2023. His post went viral and sparked debate among netizens. Some agreed with his points, saying that each holiday’s mall decorations should be just as festive and extravagant. Others argued that this may be a case of sponsorship, as establishments can also profit from Christmas and year-end sales, hence the attractive decorations.
There were also those who reminded everyone that the Hari Raya celebration is not about the excessive decorations, but more about the religious practices, as Islam focuses on simplicity and modesty. That being said, they also expressed that Deepavali should be celebrated just as enthusiastically as the other holidays through the decorations.
Do you agree with netizens’ opinions? Should shopping malls in Malaysia treat each holiday equally or is this truly the case of lack of sponsorships for the other holidays?
Source: Twitter
