Dato Richard Wee
KUCHING (Mar 8): The Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) has suggested the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) apply the same standard operating procedures (SOP) enforced last year for the observation of Qing Ming Festival come Apr 4.
SFCA president Dato Richard Wee said they had been in touch with Unifor with regards to the practices and updated guidelines for the operations of places of worship and the management of cemeteries.
“We are suggesting to follow the same SOP last year (for this year’s Qing Ming Festival),” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post here today.
Last year’s Qing Ming Festival and the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) coincided, resulting in the Chinese community having called off their annual activities at cemeteries.
Qing Ming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day is an occasion for Chinese families to clean the tombs of their ancestors as well as to pray and make ritual offerings at the cemeteries.
Wee said they are still waiting for the SOP and guidelines from Unifor despite the suggestion put forward.
He added that the Chinese community as well as various associations should abide by the SOP and guidelines.
“We (SFCA) shall also advise the community accordingly,” he said, adding that SFCA had been providing Unifor with feedback and suggestions.
He said feedback from the ground should enable Unifor to formulate its policies in accordance with the changes in the circumstances.
“We do not talk about banning. We only discourage the activities of going to the graves. We suggest that prayers be conducted in the respective homes and avoid large gatherings and open burning of joss papers in the cemetery. Similar to the practices of last year,” added Wee.
Last Wednesday, Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee said the people of Sibu may not be able to observe the Qing Ming Festival again this year due to the Covid-19 situation in Sibu.
According to the Assistant Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research, Sibu still has a long way to go to revert to a Covid-19 green zone.
“My gut feeling said that I do not think we can have it. A lot of cases that popped up these few months are mostly because of social gatherings.
“They are not big gatherings, but the catastrophe is so huge, so we should consider this,” he told the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting Facebook live discussion.
The post SFCA suggests that Unifor enforce last year’s SOP for Qing Ming Festival appeared first on Borneo Post Online.