KUALA LUMPUR, Feb — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today wished Hindus in Malaysia a Happy Thaipusam.

Anwar said the various celebrations and diverse culture in Malaysia are strong grounds for the Malaysian community to get to know each other and build an understanding of the country’s plural society.

"Let us together strengthen unity and harmony for the sake of our beloved nation,” he said in a post on his Facebook today.

Thaipusam is an important festival for Hindus. It is celebrated in the month of Thai, the tenth in the Tamil calendar to commemorate the event of Goddess Parvati giving her son Lord Murugan a sacred spear to eliminate the evil power, Soorapadman.

In Malaysia, the Hindus celebrate the occasion by going to the temples. — Bernama