KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — MCA youth vice-chairman Chua Hock Kuan today urged the government to reconsider Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) which the public must observe during the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) beginning on February 12.
Chua said as Putrajaya already permits pasar malam, barbers and salons, as well as car wash centres to operate under tight SOPs, the same should apply for festive celebrations for those who live relatively close to one another.
“Permission to do so should only be given to those whose children live very close by, or even within the same village, and not more than 10km per the current SOPs.
“This is not to allow the Chinese to celebrate CNY on a large scale, but only to welcome its arrival with reasonable SOPs in place as have already been set. In turn it would bring more meaning to Malaysians, and I believe such SOPs would be widely appreciated by the Chinese nationwide,” he said in a statement.
Chua is the second MCA leader who has urged the government to change the CNY SOPs, after Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced them yesterday.
The other is party deputy president and Deputy National Unity Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker, who said Putrajaya has made a “mistake” with the existing CNY SOPs and should withdraw and revise it.
The current SOPs only permit CNY celebrations between members of the same household, with no visits, and the customary reunion dinners which ordinarily involve extended relatives are now limited to members of the same household.
Similarly all forms of stage and cultural shows, including lion and dragon dance performances, Chinese opera shows as well as the annual Chingay parade are also prohibited, while devotees seeking to make prayers at temples are also not allowed, with the exception of a maximum of five temple committee members.