Johor MB says his Raya open house will proceed as planned, other state govt celebrations will be modest

 

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (second from left) said his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house will go ahead on schedule as it’s an annual event to celebrate the festive season with the public. — Bernama pic

JOHOR BAHRU, March 14 — Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has decided to keep his Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house on schedule even as the prime minister called on government officials to scale back official festive events.

The open house, held at his Saujana residence on the first day of Aidilfitri, is considered an annual tradition, he told reporters after chairing the Johor Umno meeting here today.

“Other state government-organised Hari Raya open house events will be held on a more modest scale.

“But for the Johor Mentri Besar’s open house, it is an annual event,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.

Onn Hafiz had been asked if the Johor government would go ahead with its open house following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s directive for all government agencies, GLCs and GLICs to cancel or reduce festive events and overseas trips this year.

Anwar had asked officials to be mindful of the economic impact from the US-Israel-Iran airstrikes disrupting trade traffic in the Middle East region.

So far, Penang and Melaka have said that they will also proceed with their Aidilfitri open house plans.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow added that the state’s official Hari Raya open house, jointly hosted with Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, will go ahead on a modest scale. - malaymail