Sahom Valley Resort apologises for using 'Songkran Festival' term

KAMPAR - Sahom Valley Resort today came forward to apologise for its oversight in using the term 'Songkran Festival' for an event to be held here, which had gone viral on social media recently.

Its Managing Director, Shariff Ali Jabad Ali, explained that there was no intention to offend any party, especially the Thai community, let alone touch on the sensitivities of races and religions in the country.

He also acknowledged that they had received numerous criticisms and dissatisfaction from the public regarding the issue which brought about a negative impact on the perception of the water festival.

"Ever since we promoted the Songkran Festival program on our Facebook page, we have received many warnings and criticisms from the community including the local village residents.

"We take note of these views and the many questions on why we used the term Songkran Festival when the term had originated from a neighboring country.

"That's why we have changed the name of the programme to just 'Water Festival,' and the event and its activities will still proceed as planned.

"I want to clarify once again that our intention was not to copy the Songkran Festival; it was our own mistake and we did not intend to imitate their religious or cultural event," he said.

He made these remarks today during a special media briefing to address the issue at Sahom Valley Resort, Kampung Sahom.

Meanwhile, Shariff added that the water festival program is being organised for the second time, after successfully attracting visitors last May.

Furthermore, he explained that the purpose of the event is to boost the local economy and attract more tourists to the area.

Previously, the media reported that the Kampar Pas Chief, Mohd Sofian Rejab, mentioned that the event organisers acknowledged their oversight in using the term for the celebration.

He explained that the water festival they organised is a water-related activity for visitors and is not similar to the Songkran celebration of the Thai community. - AWANI