Festive arches and banners around Kuala Lumpur and Brickfields bearing the word “Diwali” should be corrected to “Deepavali”, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said today.

The Tapah MP said “Deepavali” is the legally gazetted and appropriate term used in Malaysia, and that he had written to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh over the matter, with a copy of the letter sent to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“The use of the term ‘Diwali’ on festive arches and banners across Kuala Lumpur and Brickfields is entirely incorrect.

“The legally gazetted, appropriate, and correct designation for the festival is ‘Deepavali’,” Saravanan said in a statement today as preparations begin for the celebration marked on Nov 8 this year.