KUCHING: The Malaysian Health Coalition (MHC) has called upon the government to come up with ‘predictable and consistent’ standard operating procedures (SOP) for festivals.
In a statement yesterday, the coalition said the government must deploy a long-term, sustainable Covid-19 strategy so that Malaysians would not need to wait for a new SOP for every celebration.
“There must be ‘predictable and consistent SOP’ for cultural and religious celebrations so as to avoid confusion, and to optimise compliance.
“This is a multi-year pandemic. The government must introduce policies that reflect this reality,” it said.
Nonetheless, MHC commended the government’s decision of allowing the chariot procession to Batu Caves for this year’s Thaipusam – on condition that the activity be run under strict SOP.
This, it said, signified a good example of how SOP could be safely adapted to religious and cultural practices.
“Unfortunately, the initial SOP for the Chinese New Year celebration was less clear. The government must appropriately recognise and adapt cultural and religious practices in all SOPs moving forward, especially during festive periods.”
Adding on, MHC observed that there was still ‘a lack of coordinated, government-led public education on vaccines’.
The government, it pointed out, must urgently work with religious and community leaders to combat conspiracy theories and misinformation that could fuel anti-vaccine dogma.
“That said, the vaccine is not ‘a silver bullet’, and the government must not treat it as such.
“Other public health measures such as physical distancing, mask-wearing and good hand hygiene must continue long after the delivery of vaccines,” it stressed.
MHC added that while Malaysians could transform yet another festive season to be adaptable to the pandemic circumstances via SOP and new norms, everyone must remember that ‘the sacrifices made today would have triumphant outcomes tomorrow’.
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