Celebrate but be cautious

Warmest wishes: Muhyiddin delivering his Hari Raya address at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.
— Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin once again stressed the importance of abiding by the Covid-19 preventative measures at all times during the Hari Raya celebrations.

For those who are joining congregational prayers in mosques and surau today, he reminded them to perform the ablution at home, abide by the temperature-taking requirement and bring their own prayer mats.

At the same time, Muhyiddin reminded people to practise social distancing during congregational prayers, saying that shaking hands with one another should be avoided.

“I repeat, no need to shake hands. Bowing and smiling is adequate as a sign of respect.

“God willing, we will still get the merits of praying while trying to control the spread of Covid-19, ” he said in his special Hari Raya Aidilfitri address yesterday.

Zakat fitrah (personal tithe) payments, said Muhyiddin, could be made online or to the assigned charity organisations according to existing schedules.

“This is to facilitate us in fulfilling the demands of the Islamic pillars without exposing ourselves to the dangers of Covid-19, ” he said.

Muhyiddin said the Hari Raya celebration this year was a different affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as visits were limited and there were no open houses.

“But this doesn’t mean that this Hari Raya Aidilfitri can’t be joyous. Create an atmosphere of joy and excitement of the festive celebration with our family members.

“The same goes to those living at welfare homes and orphanages. I’m confident that many officers and volunteers are making the effort to create a joyous atmosphere for them, ” he said.

Muhyiddin reminded Malaysians that they were not allowed to travel interstate during the festive season, adding that close family member home visits were only allowed with a maximum of 20 guests in a day.

He urged Malaysians to pay more attention to the elderly, as this was the age group that was most impacted by Covid-19.

He also said that Malaysians should avoid visiting cemeteries, as such places were among the hotspots for people to gather during festive seasons.

“All of this is very important so that we get to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri and at the same time, avoid the spread of Covid-19 after the holidays, ” he said, noting that there was a spike in infections in other countries following festive celebrations.

“We sacrifice a bit of our norms to avoid Covid-19 infections and to save lives as well as those who are around us, ” he said.

At the same time, Muhyiddin said every Malaysian had a crucial responsibility to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“No one is more capable to have this responsibility other than ourselves. Only when this becomes a norm to us, the government will be able to decide when the conditional MCO can be lifted, ” he said. - Star