KUALA LUMPUR — When the Deepavali festival coincided with Halloween two years ago, content creator and actor Blake Yap noticed something peculiar in malls across the city.
He was baffled to see Halloween decorations taking the centre stage in malls with Deepavali decorations hanging few and far between.
Yap, better known online as Chinepaiyen, which means “Chinese boy” in Tamil, aired his frustrations about the situation on his social media.
The video resonated with Malaysians across ethnic lines, garnered over a million views and sparked a crucial conversation about embracing Deepavali as a truly Malaysian festival.
Most people would have settled for that as a win. Yap, however, was determined to see the conversation unfold into actions.
So, last year, the 33-year-old broadcasting graduate started documenting Deepavali decorations in shopping malls and compared them with Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri decorations.
“There was hardly anything to criticise for the Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya decor because the malls did them well.
“But, their efforts for Deepavali paled in comparison.
“Deepavali decorations are installed closer to the festival and in some places, I had to ask the concierge when exactly they would install them,” Yap told Malay Mail in a recent interview.
For Yap, festive decorations are not just aesthetics but a yardstick of how well communities in Malaysia are represented.
So this year, Yap began auditing the Deepavali decorations in malls across Klang Valley with a checklist that he drew up based on inputs from his artist friends and social media followers.
Yap allocates 30 marks for malls that install their Deepavali decorations on the main concourse and gives another 20 marks for malls that create economic opportunities for the Indian vendors either through stalls or cultural events.
Additional marks go to malls that incorporate educational elements and to managements that credit the artists behind the artwork.
So far, Yap has reviewed Deepavali decorations in 12 shopping malls and said only three have lived up to his standards, namely Suria KLCC, NU Sentral and The Gardens.
Yap posts all his review videos on Instagram and TikTok, inspiring other social media users to review festive decorations as well.
Some retail outlets like Swedish candy store chain Scandy have also tagged him online to grade and evaluate their Deepavali decor.
“I’m happy to see the conversation moving beyond me and to how the community is represented in our social spaces,” he said.
Love for Tamil
Way before his Deepavali decoration reviews, Yap has made waves as Chinepaiyen among the Tamil-speaking Indian audience both here and abroad.
Yap speaks fluent Tamil, having learnt the language only through interactions with friends and from watching Tamil movies and songs.
“When I was 17, I asked myself why is it that I can speak Malay and Mandarin but not Tamil, our country’s third main language?
“So, I got my friends to teach me five Tamil words every day in school, but I learned the language best through cinema since I always loved movies, songs and dance,” he said.
In 2013, the music enthusiast made a cover of Ethir Neechal, a song composed by Tamil music director Anirudh Ravichander.
Anirudh later praised the song and shared the video on his X page, drawing thousands of followers from India for Yap.
“Anirudh’s recognition was a stamp of approval that encouraged me on my creative journey,” Yap said.
Life came full circle for Yap when he was later offered a brief appearance in the Tamil movie Comali (2019) and later made a cameo with Indian actress Nayanthara in Annapoorani (2023).
“I think I manifested the role in Annapoorani because I always told myself that I should act with Nayanthara and my favourite hero Vijay Sethupathi after watching Naanum Rowdy Dhan (2015),” Yap said.
So, for Yap, pushing for a fairer representation of Deepavali in shopping malls is his way of giving back the love he receives from his predominantly Tamil followers.
Yap will continue to audit Deepavali decorations in malls until November 15 and post his full report, detailing the best-performing ones and those lagging behind.
While his reviews may have ignited a sense of competition among the malls, Yap’s intention is clear: everyone should come out as winners from his initiative.
“Honestly, I don’t see any downside to this.
“Malls can attract stronger footfall with better Deepavali decorations, the Indian community feels better represented and traders get new business opportunities,” he said.
Next month, Yap will be returning to the malls to review their Christmas decorations and he plans to do so for the subsequent festivals taking place in 2027.
Beyond just creating content, Yap sees the painstaking work as his contribution to preserve the Malaysian narrative of unity in diversity.
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