IPOH: Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah and Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim attended the Perak-level Deepavali celebration at Stadium Indera Mulia.
Raja Muda of Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja Di Hilir of Perak Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Sultan Idris Shah also attended the event.
Their Royal Highnesses arrived about 2.30pm and were received by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and state Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman A Sivanesan, along with 15,000 visitors from various ethnic communities.
At the event, Sultan Nazrin also presented cash contributions to 69 orphans from six care centres and welfare organisations.
Meanwhile, Saarani said in his speech that no matter how remarkable human intellectual achievements or how advanced civilisation became, people would always need love to show compassion, empathy to understand others, and wisdom to appreciate them.
“For progress may transform the face of the world, but it is nobility of character that shapes the face of humanity,” he said.
He said Perak’s own history showed how people of various ethnic backgrounds had worked together, contributing their energy, efforts and wisdom to build the state’s prosperity.
He said the history of Perak would be incomplete without recognising the early Indian community’s contributions in clearing plantations and building railway lines, roads and ports despite great hardship.
Saarani said the Indian community’s heritage in Perak was also reflected in education, culture and religion.
He said the existence of 134 Tamil National-Type Schools – the highest number in the country – reflected a long history of efforts to strengthen education for younger generations.
Likewise, places of worship that had stood for generations formed part of the state’s historical heritage and cultural diversity, enriching its identity.