IN a harmonious blend of music, dance, colors, fireworks and floats the capital of Malaysia drove home the point of unity. Amid a wide range of activities the key word harmony stood out, for in their annual extravaganza the Malaysians not only showcased their diverse culture, but they also projected the harmonious co-existence of the varied ethnic groups that make up the Southeast Asian nation.
The proud nation, which has been living the principle of peaceful co-existence, is a shining example of what can be achieved if people will it.
And they are proud to present to the world the greatest display of tolerance and acceptance of such diversity in the Citrawarna “Colors of Malaysia” Festival.
Even the word Chitrawarna displays the embracive nature of the Malaysians. For the word broken into two — Chitra and Warna — means picture and color in Sanskrit.
When joined together Chitrawarna, or Citrawarna as the Malaysians call it, the derived Sanskrit word denotes multihued or by logical extension... a colorful multiculturism.
And this year’s edition did just that — celebrated the spirit of unity and cultural diversity in multicolors that left visitors enthralled. This year the festival was one of the biggest and the most colorful.
The fireworks, traditional Malaysian music and the riot of colors during the folk dances from various regions and from troupes from outside Malaysia lent a festive air that had all go with the flow as they joined in the merriment with full vigor.
Citrawarna is held every year on July 8 since 1999. In addition to the 400 international journalists who attended the festival this year, thousands of people had congregated to partake in the festivities and activities.
The festivities began with a royal parade that began at the Kuala Lumpur city hall off Sultan Ismail Street, where over 1,000 participants accompanied the royals through the Raja Laut Street toward the Tunku Abdul Rahman Street before vending its way to Dataran Merdeka (Liberty Square), where the main event was staged.
Members of the royal entourage rode in a big ship-like chariot that was decorated with bright and golden cloth, which gave an image of a mythical caravan emerging from a fairy tale. The entourage arrived at Dataran Merdeka, where more than 4,000 dancers and performers began showcasing the country’s kaleidoscope of arts, cultures and traditions. The dancers displayed their skills for over 1.5 kilometers of the way toward the stage.
Huge speakers and screens were erected around the area for people to view the ongoing parade. There were many onlookers who could not find places in the designated seating area. For people had gathered to witness the event at least five hours before the official launch with an aim of securing the best seats, or at least some seats. Dancers partaking in the show represented the main three ethnic groups of Malaysia: the Malay, the Chinese and Indians. Each group performed dances predominant in their culture and acted out mythical tales from their respective exotic religions and heritage to entertain the royal entourage and the crowds.
Performers presented a spectacular show, with a continuous presentation of music and dance significant to their different states and cultures. For three-and-a-half hours there was nothing but an exotic fusion of rhythm and movement, broken only by the rippling applause following each performance. Performers dressed in wonderful and colorful costumes moved to the rhythm of the music to paint a powerful mosaic full of colors. The scene looked more like a painting gone wild. The performance successfully drove home the point that the Malaysians don’t tolerate their cultural and ethnic diversity but rather they celebrate it.
The Citrawarna runs for an entire month and is an opportunity for the whole country to showcase their cultural diversity. Many special events take place in each state and territory at varying times throughout the entire month. For the seventh successive year, the people of Malaysia showed visitors that people of vastly different cultural and ethnic backgrounds can live harmoniously and happily in one country.
The multiethnic nature of Malaysia’s people has roots that go back to the early traders who came to Malacca plying their wares. They came from throughout the world. Chinese and Indian traders came with tea, spices, silk and gold and also brought their religions and cultural practices. Thus Buddhism and Hinduism entered the cultural milieu of the Malay. Traders from the Middle East introduced Islam, which today has become the dominant religion of Malaysia, with nearly two-thirds of the present population being Muslims.
The Europeans, with a large contingent of Portuguese traders, who still have a settlement in Malacca, brought Christianity. The Dutch and British have also left their mark on the history and people of this country too.
A tourism seminar was held at Melaka International Trade Center on July 7, 2006, to brief participants about the latest tourism development in Malaysia. More than 400 members of international media from 30 countries took part in Citrawarna coverage program this year. They are from Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Laos, Philippines, China, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, South Africa, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US, Venezuela and Canada.
