International students of APU took part in the ‘ponggal’ cooking event to understand more about the Tamil culture
Kuala Lumpur – The Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) campus in Bukit Jalil glittered with colours of culture as staff and students gathered at the “One World Ponggal” celebration on 26 February 2015 (Thursday). The event was held in conjunction with Thai Ponggal – the Tamil harvest festival which is celebrated on the first day of the tenth month of Thai in the Tamil calendar.
The event had objectives of sharing the colours of Indian culture with APU’s community of local and international students. They were highly encouraged to attend the celebration in their traditional attire.
Minister of Health, Y.B. Dato’ Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam, alongside with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of APIIT Education Group, Datuk Dr. Parmjit Singh, officiated the event together with the student members from the APU Indian Culture and Youth Society (ICYS).
APU student performers collaborated with TraXX FM to showcase spectacular Indian traditional performances, which kept the guests entertained throughout the celebration.
In accordance to the Tamil culture, the cooking of ‘ponggal’ dish took place at the event as well. International students from over 50 countries joined hands in cooking their very first ‘ponggal’ – a traditional dish made of rice and milk. Their tireless efforts had created a new record in the Malaysia Book of Records, as APU involved the most number of international students in the ‘Ponggal’ cooking session.
The passion and interest shown by the students in understanding and spreading the Indian culture had amazed Subramaniam, as he noted that he was “proud that our traditions and legacies are practiced with great pride by our younger generation”.
The event was also supported by Tourism Malaysia, as part of its Year of Festivals 2015 campaign.
