Subramaniam: Deepavali as basis of unity, understanding among races

PUTRAJAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam has urged Hindus in the country to use the Deepavali celebration as a foundation for unity and understanding among the people of various races.
When making the call, he also asked this community to invite Malaysians from all walks of life, to come together to celebrate Deepavali in the true spirit of 1Malaysia.
"Deepavali celebration which marks victory over evil is very appropriate and showed that the people needed to get rid of all malice and move towards a closer rapport among themselves.
"It (Deepavali celebration) is a golden opportunity to create a feeling of friendship among the races and strengthen the family institution," he said in his message in conjunction with the Deepavali celebration.
Hence, he said all Malaysians of other races were invited to celebrate together because it would be an opportunity to forge closer ties.
Dr Subramaniam, who is also Health Minister, advised Malaysians to eat in moderation, choose healthy food and reduce food intake rich in fat and sugar.
"When making a visit to the home of relatives, choose the right food so that you can celebrate Deepavali in a more healthy way," he said.
In the meantime, he advised the Indian community to take advantage of all the opportunities provided by the government to improve their quality of life.
He said the government always provides various facilities to all strata of society, especially the Indian community in the fields of education, economy, business and finance.
"This clearly shows the government is serious in helping to uplift the living standard of the Indians," he added.
Deepavali will be celebrated on Saturday. — Bernama