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PETALING JAYA: It may be the season of joy, but religious leaders and health experts have urged the Christian community to celebrate Christmas today while observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that have been put in place.
It will also be a long weekend for Malaysians.
The Malaysian Advisory Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism hoped that this year’s celebration of Christmas would help unite Malaysians in a spirit of solidarity and sharing, as in the case of the other religious holidays that Malaysians celebrated this year under SOP Restrictions.
“The current pandemic that has lasted much of this year has had an emotional and financial cost on millions of people in our country and the rest of the world.
“However, the crisis has brought Malaysians together as they shared their difficulties with each other.
“Our well-being as a nation depends on the love and goodwill shown by the people, these themes being central to the Christmas message,” the council said yesterday in a joint statement.
The statement was signed by the council president, Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim, Vice President Sardar Jagir Singh, and Vice Presidents Datuk RS Mohan Shanmugam, Tan Hoe Chieow and Ven Sing Kan.
The government has established several restrictions.
These include no more than 20 guests, including only close family members, for the Christmas celebrations that take place in terrestrial residences on the first day.
“Despite the current circumstances, may Christmas be memorable and meaningful.
“As we approach a new year, we can only pray that the coming months will see a breakthrough in overcoming the devastating effects of the pandemic on our nation,” the council said.
Archbishop Leow had previously encouraged church-goers to follow Mass online and reminded Catholics to be vigilant to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from Covid-19.
The executive secretary of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, Tan Kong Beng, said that the head of the churches had advised priests and pastors to operate during Christmas under strict SOP.
“Those in the red zones will especially comply with the relevant regulations. We will prioritize the safety and health of all our friends, family and colleagues, ”he said.
He wished the Christian community a blessed celebration and reminded them to celebrate with those in need.
“The churches will continue to provide assistance to those who need a helping hand during this challenging time and will continue to give them hope,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Malaysian Coalition Physicians Association, Dr. Raj Kumar Maharajah, reminded all Malaysians that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was still active during the Christmas celebration.
“The rakyat must continue to observe all SOPs and be responsible.
“They must do their part to stop the spread of the infection.
“We hope and pray that the arrival of the vaccine will give us more freedom to move and reduce the risk of transmission.”
The president of the Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association, Datuk Dr. Zainal Ariffin Omar, said Malaysians can still observe the holiday, but under new rules.
“For example, if we are from the red zones, we are not encouraged to visit our relatives, relatives and friends from other zones.
“This is especially the case for families that have high-risk groups like the elderly,” he said.
He also urged reducing the number of people visiting homes, especially those who come from other areas.
“We hope that people can reduce physical interactions and limit visitors to those we know,” he said.
He also reminded the public to wash their hands regularly, wear face masks and practice physical distancing.
In the last three months after the Sabah state elections, the country has gone through a third wave of Covid-19 infections, with several days recording more than 2,000 new cases.
After Sabah, Selangor has been registering a high number of infections in recent days, especially among migrant workers in factories.
With cases increasing in Selangor for eight days in a row, Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah also warned residents of the state not to go out unnecessarily during this period to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Many churches in the Klang Valley have had to hold masses and religious services online after they underwent the conditional MCO, which is scheduled to end on December 31.
With the 1,581 cases yesterday, the country registered 100,318 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.
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