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ALOR SETAR: Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has defended his decision not to allow a holiday in the state on Thaipusam day, and pointed to MIC for keeping silent on the matter for decades.
Sanusi questioned MIC if he ever lobbied for a public holiday in the state when he was in federal power for 60 years, following the recent Thaipusam dispute.
He said that the decision not to have a special holiday (cuti peristiwa) for Thaipusam as in previous years was due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was not intended to deny the rights of the devotees.
Speaking to the FMT, Sanusi said that Hindus are free to perform prayers on their own, as long as they adhere to standard operating procedures established by the government. Kedah joins MCO from tomorrow until February 4, due to an increase in cases. I was previously under conditional OLS.
Sanusi has been attacked by MIC’s M Saravanan and DAP’s P Ramasamy, after he said that the day off was not necessary as the Thaipusam celebrations had been canceled due to the MCO.
Kedah is known to have observed Thaipusam as a public holiday since 2013.
Sanusi said he was surprised that MIC was “dancing to the tune” of DAP in trying to take advantage of the situation.
“During BN’s reign in Kedah, there were no vacation problems in Thaipusam for 60 years. There was no noise from the MIC and the BN leaders were quiet.
“Only when DAP tried to be a political hero for the Indians through P Ramasamy did MIC seem to be dancing to DAP. What kind of policy is this? ” I ask.
Sanusi said Saravanan, the human resources minister, should think about work, not holidays. He said that Ramasamy, on the other hand, should not interfere with Kedah’s affairs.
He said that if the MIC was so keen on Thaipusam being a holiday, it should push the federal government to have a nationwide holiday on that day.
