This time of year is enjoyed by people all around the world, whether or not they are Christians. Most of all, it’s a time of wonder and excitement for children.
An appearance by Santa is an essential element of the festival, especially for younger children, for whom Christmas is a time for giving and receiving gifts.
In chilly northern countries, children write lists of the gifts they want, along with assurances that they have been good all year. The lists are then floated up the chimney for Santa and his elves to receive at his manufacturing and distribution centre at the North Pole.
Then on Christmas Eve, Santa soars through the snowy skies in a sleigh pulled by his flying reindeer and squeezes down chimneys around the world bearing gifts for sleeping girls and boys.
Traditionally, chimneys are a key feature of Christmas. Without a chimney, Santa’s stuck on the roof.
For Malaysian kids living in homes without chimneys, the mall is their only chance to catch a glimpse of the jolly, white-bearded man in red.
In his 15 Christmases as a mall Santa Claus, Alex Yap has brought Christmas cheer to thousands of children.
“Being Santa Claus is fun,” he told FMT. “When they see you, all the children’s faces light up, and even the grown-ups too.”
However, Yap confirms that in Malaysia, Santa’s public appearances are becoming rarer, along with other traditional seasonal activities like Christmas caroling.
The man in red’s absence can currently be blamed on Covid-19, but even before the pandemic many malls were cutting back on Santa or cancelling his visits altogether.
According to Yap, there are several reasons for this, including the country’s changing racial demographic, a growing distaste for living symbols and increasing awareness of paedophilia.
But perhaps the biggest reason is simply that malls now have to work with increasingly tight budgets.
“The cutback in entertainment funding in shopping malls is definitely one of the reasons that many malls now focus on decorations rather than a living Santa during the festive season,” said Yap.
“Even if they do feature a visiting Santa, many malls have reduced the number of times he appears for the kids. What used to be three appearances per day has become only one.”
Allan Yong runs Allan and Friends, a popular party and event supplier, with his wife Veronica. He agrees that reduced mall promotion budgets are contributing to the increasing absence of Santa Claus.
“Malls will now splurge on decorations and displays rather than more expensive activities,” he said.
He adds that Malaysia’s declining non-Muslim population may be an additional cause of Santa’s disappearance from the nation’s malls.
Yong and Yap said they would love to see more Santa appearances and authentic Christmas-related activities with live Christmas music so that shoppers and their families could feel the spirit of Christmas in the air.
A spokeswoman for the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association told FMT malls aimed to target all categories of shoppers when they put on their Christmas promotional events.
“Typically, Santa Claus mainly attracts families with children,” she said. “But that’s just one customer segment.”
She said that with the Covid-19 virus still a threat and SOPs in place, any close interaction between Santa and children would be difficult.
But Yong said Santa was not just for kids.
“Creating a festive atmosphere in malls at Christmas showcases our multi-cultural society,” he said.
The pleasure for adults comes from seeing the wonder on the faces of their children. Meeting Santa is one of the biggest thrills of the year for kids.
Can we expect Santa to reappear at the malls once the pandemic is over? Yong and Yap certainly hope so.
Perhaps he will if children make extra special wishes and send them to the North Pole. For if Santa vanishes from Malaysia’s malls, is there any reason for our kids to be on their best behaviour throughout the year?
Parents, you have been warned.
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