Celebrate festivals, then expect more to die
by Francis Paul Siah
COMMENT | This is it! There should not be any more flip-flops. It’s time to decide and make it clear once and for all. We have to stop all festival celebrations and we have to do it across the nation.
Stop such nonsensical rulings like, "only the red zones are disallowed, other areas not under a movement control order (MCO) are permitted to celebrate on the first three days of Hari Raya".
Or that the respective state governments will decide the festival standard operating procedures (SOPs). Why are there such multiple, incohesive rulings? Or continue to hold meeting after meeting and take two or three days to decide when a decision is needed today, right now.
Come on, people. So far, everything is so entangled in a bundle and it is so very confusing. We have to be more decisive and upfront and make more effective, implementable decisions across the board.
Come Hari Raya, the families in the same kampung must be wondering whether they are allowed to visit each other. If so, what SOPs do they follow? There are too many rules at present and they keep changing. So what’s the end result? Don’t expect them to be followed.
A few days ago, I read in a post that the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had allowed Hari Raya celebrations for seven days. I was bewildered and thought the report was fake.
I contacted an SDMC member seeking clarification with this question: Seven days to celebrate Hari Raya in Sarawak! Is that a good idea?
The reply I received was that it was for three days, not seven. Still, it’s three days too many. Ideally, for me, there should be a total freeze on all celebrations.
by Francis Paul Siah
COMMENT | This is it! There should not be any more flip-flops. It’s time to decide and make it clear once and for all. We have to stop all festival celebrations and we have to do it across the nation.
Stop such nonsensical rulings like, "only the red zones are disallowed, other areas not under a movement control order (MCO) are permitted to celebrate on the first three days of Hari Raya".
Or that the respective state governments will decide the festival standard operating procedures (SOPs). Why are there such multiple, incohesive rulings? Or continue to hold meeting after meeting and take two or three days to decide when a decision is needed today, right now.
Come on, people. So far, everything is so entangled in a bundle and it is so very confusing. We have to be more decisive and upfront and make more effective, implementable decisions across the board.
Come Hari Raya, the families in the same kampung must be wondering whether they are allowed to visit each other. If so, what SOPs do they follow? There are too many rules at present and they keep changing. So what’s the end result? Don’t expect them to be followed.
A few days ago, I read in a post that the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had allowed Hari Raya celebrations for seven days. I was bewildered and thought the report was fake.
I contacted an SDMC member seeking clarification with this question: Seven days to celebrate Hari Raya in Sarawak! Is that a good idea?
The reply I received was that it was for three days, not seven. Still, it’s three days too many. Ideally, for me, there should be a total freeze on all celebrations.
Let me say this. I am Chinese and a Christian. I have not celebrated Chinese New Year, Christmas, two Easters and all the other festivals in between since March 2020. I am prepared to forgo all celebrations as a little contribution to help in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Therefore, I don’t think it is too much to expect my fellow Malaysians to do so. My message and appeal here today is this – let’s save lives together. It’s all about preventing more deaths.
There were 4,519 positive cases yesterday with 25 deaths. The deaths tied with the previous record high, also 25 fatalities, on Feb 18. According to the Health Ministry, of the 210 intubated cases in our hospitals, a good percentage may not make it.
Forego celebrations
My fellow Malaysians, when people are dying, what is there to celebrate? Seriously, can we ever be in a festive mood when our daily death toll and positive cases keep rising?
To those who insist that festive celebrations must continue, then my message to them is this: “Celebrate festivals, then expect more people to die”. Perhaps, a fatality has to come from within this group so that they can better understand the seriousness of the pandemic.
I must ask seriously, what is Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai, Deepavali and all the other festivals? There will always be festivals to celebrate each year.
We can forgo such celebrations of our annual festivals. It’s no big deal for me not to celebrate Chinese New Year, Christmas or Easter for a year or two.
It is also silly to attempt to be politically correct when making decisions on certain religious festivals or customs. That is something I strongly abhor. To those politicians who are making decisions, if you think that the virus can distinguish race and religion, I urge you to think again.
Apart from the annual festivals, private celebrations like weddings can be postponed. There is no need to celebrate a birthday; there will always be birthdays. So, too, an anniversary. Company events are a big "no". Strict SOPs for funerals. That must be the rule from now on.
Therefore, I don’t think it is too much to expect my fellow Malaysians to do so. My message and appeal here today is this – let’s save lives together. It’s all about preventing more deaths.
There were 4,519 positive cases yesterday with 25 deaths. The deaths tied with the previous record high, also 25 fatalities, on Feb 18. According to the Health Ministry, of the 210 intubated cases in our hospitals, a good percentage may not make it.
Forego celebrations
My fellow Malaysians, when people are dying, what is there to celebrate? Seriously, can we ever be in a festive mood when our daily death toll and positive cases keep rising?
To those who insist that festive celebrations must continue, then my message to them is this: “Celebrate festivals, then expect more people to die”. Perhaps, a fatality has to come from within this group so that they can better understand the seriousness of the pandemic.
I must ask seriously, what is Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai, Deepavali and all the other festivals? There will always be festivals to celebrate each year.
We can forgo such celebrations of our annual festivals. It’s no big deal for me not to celebrate Chinese New Year, Christmas or Easter for a year or two.
It is also silly to attempt to be politically correct when making decisions on certain religious festivals or customs. That is something I strongly abhor. To those politicians who are making decisions, if you think that the virus can distinguish race and religion, I urge you to think again.
Apart from the annual festivals, private celebrations like weddings can be postponed. There is no need to celebrate a birthday; there will always be birthdays. So, too, an anniversary. Company events are a big "no". Strict SOPs for funerals. That must be the rule from now on.
Funeral of a Covid-19 patient
The pandemic is not going to go away, certainly not for a while yet. We are said to be still in the third wave with the more devastating fourth yet to come.
My immediate concern is Hari Raya as it is next week. When festivities involve children, things are more likely to get out of hand. We cannot blame them as they are too young to understand SOPs.
In Sabah and Sarawak, the Kadazandusuns and Dayaks will be celebrating Kaamatan and Gawai on June 1 and 2. I appeal to the communities to forgo celebrating the Harvest Festival this year. Let’s do a big one next year, hopefully.
As I write this in Kuching, I received an e-mail from the management of my Petaling Jaya condominium advising that Hari Raya celebrations will be allowed on May 13.
Attendance of visitors should not exceed 15 persons at any one time and limited to close family members only. Open houses and functions for Hari Raya are not allowed.
Visitors allowed but no open house, really? You tell me what kind of SOP is this? I think 15 persons is quite a crowd too.
This is in Selangor which is supposed to be under an MCO lockdown for two weeks beginning May 6. Don’t blame me if I am also confused.
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com
My immediate concern is Hari Raya as it is next week. When festivities involve children, things are more likely to get out of hand. We cannot blame them as they are too young to understand SOPs.
In Sabah and Sarawak, the Kadazandusuns and Dayaks will be celebrating Kaamatan and Gawai on June 1 and 2. I appeal to the communities to forgo celebrating the Harvest Festival this year. Let’s do a big one next year, hopefully.
As I write this in Kuching, I received an e-mail from the management of my Petaling Jaya condominium advising that Hari Raya celebrations will be allowed on May 13.
Attendance of visitors should not exceed 15 persons at any one time and limited to close family members only. Open houses and functions for Hari Raya are not allowed.
Visitors allowed but no open house, really? You tell me what kind of SOP is this? I think 15 persons is quite a crowd too.
This is in Selangor which is supposed to be under an MCO lockdown for two weeks beginning May 6. Don’t blame me if I am also confused.
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com
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