INDIAN PONGGAL FESTIVAL GOES 1MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- In keeping with the 1Malaysia concept, the
national Ponggal festival, the harvest thanksgiving celebrated by Tamils, will
be open to all races.

More than 10,000 Malaysians nationwide are expected to participate in the
'2010 1Malaysia National Ponggal Festival' which will be celebrated from
Sunday to Feb 14.

The main celebration will be held in Brickfields here on Saturday from 10am
till noon, Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) information chief P. Kamalanathan,
who is the advisor of the event, told reporters here Tuesday. MIC is a component
party of the ruling National Front or Barisan Nasional (BN).

The ceremony will be officiated by Federal Territories and Urban Well-being
Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

Events will also be held in the states of Kedah, Perak, Malacca, Johor,
Pahang, Terengganu, Sarawak and Negeri Sembilan.

"The national ponggal festival is being held for the eighth time and has
become a part of Malaysian culture. In fact, we have called this year's event,
'2010 1Malaysia National Ponggal Celebration' to commemorate the 1Malaysia
concept," said Kamalanathan.

Ponggal is celebrated by Tamils worldwide as a harvest thanskgiving affair
during which clay pots of milk are boiled until they spill over to signify
prosperity for the family in the year ahead.
-- BERNAMA