After netizens share disappointment over local malls skipping Deepavali decors in favour of Christmas campaigns, one Twitter user calls out Mid Valley Megamall and Sony for putting up a Christmas promotional pop-up during Deepavali weekend.
Twitter user @/sureshdr wrote, “Here’s another example of disrespect to Deepavalli. Sony @ Mid Valley. Dude the festival ends this weekend and you have more than a month for Christmas promo. Such a disgrace and insensitive for an international brand.” The promotional pop-up in question is the Sony Year End Promotion Expo 2023, located in the centre court of Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.
Many netizens agreed with the tweet, showing disappointment at Mid Valley and Sony for not respecting the Deepavali festivities. Some comments also said the mall is notorious for prioritising Western holidays like Halloween over local festivals and occasions like Merdeka Day. Netizens also shamed Sony Malaysia for rushing to capitalise on the Christmas holiday season and disregarding the Indian and Hindu communities in Malaysia.
Some have even pointed out the same issue with other malls like Avenue K, which had also skipped on Deepavali decorations in favour of Christmas campaigns. Meanwhile, many praised other malls like Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Suria KLCC for putting up extravagant decorations for the Hindu festival. Even influencer Ceddy Ang praised The Gardens Mall, located right beside Mid Valley Megamall, for putting up Deepavali decorations throughout the mall, complete with a large kolam at the ground floor concourse.
It is worth mentioning that events taking place in a shopping mall require months of advanced planning. Do you think this is just a case of wrong timing, or did Mid Valley Megamall and Sony Malaysia choose to skip Deepavali for a more “profitable” holiday?
