Deepavali cheer across borders
LETTER: This is my third year not being able to celebrate Deepavali at home, in a part of the United Kingdom where the festival is not even routinely known or recognised.
In the United Kingdom, a Malaysian Tamil person found comfort and nostalgia in a 2003 Petronas Deepavali advertisement after being unable to celebrate the festival in their home country. The video, which featured a Tamil dialogue between Patti and Sam, had been a sensation back then and remains one of Petronas' most memorable advertisements.
The individual, Loshi Rajen, remembered rewinding the video as an 11-year-old, and was touched by the message at the end that emphasized keeping one's identity despite the world changing. Now an adult, Rajen, who is an international medical graduate, understands the significance of the message - that he is proud to call himself a Malaysian Tamil, no matter where life takes him.
Rajen also reflected on how growing older has made past experiences hold a different meaning. He may be far from home, but his heart remains in Malaysia, and he thanked Petronas for sharing the advertisement again, bringing a little Deepavali cheer to a Malaysian spending another festive season away from home.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
