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PENANG has called on devotees to the annual Qing Ming (Cheng Beng) festival to adopt environmental - friendly practises when cleaning the tombs of their ancestors by reducing open - burning and using recyclable products when cleaning their grave sites.
Qing Ming, also known as the Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day, or Cheng Beng in Malaysia, is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated in early April, marking the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, where families visit and clean the graves of their ancestors, offering food and burning incense
State social development, welfare and non - Islamic Affairs committee chairperson Lim Swee Khim said that environment protection should be an utmost priority due to the emergence of climate change in lives of people.
When visiting the United Hokkien public cemetery in Batu Gantong, Lim said that the devotees should also stop littering at the sites.
It would make it easier to maintain the grave sites all year around too, she stressed.
"The cemetery management have noted that every year the problems are the same; rubbish left behind after tomb sweeping and when burn offerings were left unattended, they engulf the nearby bushes, triggering bush fires."
Lim called for the use of recyclable items such as aluminium, biodegradable plastics and candles besides cleaning up after they observed the rituals of honouring the dead.
At the same time, when burning offerings, they must ensure safety and proper cleanup.
She mentioned that last year, a campaign to raise awareness on an environmental friendly - tomb cleaning was launched on the state's social media platforms,.
This year there is no exception.
Fortunately, the efforts seemed to have paid off, as there were fewer incidences of open - burning and the level of waste left behind has also been reduced.
But Lim said that there is a room for improvement, especially among the old devotees who are stuck in their old culture of burning joysticks but leaving it unattended.
“We all need to work together and harder to promote the environmental protection messages. Better results can be achieved because these are our responsibilities.”
She also mentioned that she was discussing initiatives on environmentally - friendly waste management with the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and city councillors.
Councillor Tan Soo Siang revealed that the aluminum cans used to place offerings has a high recycling value.
She said that the MBPP plans to set up a recycling station at both major cemetery areas in Batu Gantong and Mount Erskine by next year.
"The cemetery management spend a lot annually to clear the garbage. This move can at least bring them some income from recycling the items and promote recycling."
According to her, during the Qian Ming festival, the council needs to remove the garbage from the graveyards about five times daily.
She hopes that the plan will gain cooperation from various cemetery management and devotees in the state, and to encourage environmentally friendly measures. - April 6, 2025