PARLIAMENT | Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim defended the impromptu public holiday he declared for tomorrow, saying there are many people on Facebook who support this move.
He made the announcement yesterday to celebrate Kuala Lumpur City FC (KL City FC) winning the Malaysia Cup for the first time since 1989.
“If I go to Facebook right now, a majority of people living in the federal territories will support me over the holiday that was given to them.
“All the MPs are excited, even Khalid Samad (Harapan-Shah Alam) is excited,” Shahidan said while giving his winding-up speech in the Dewan Rakyat today for the committee stage of his ministry’s allocations under Budget 2022.
He was responding to Teresa Kok (Harapan-Seputeh) who had earlier said in her debate that there should have been more thought put into such a decision as it will affect many who are not football fans.
“Not everyone is a football fan, not all need holidays like this.
“Just look, because of this announcement, schools cannot open and some students are having exams and we have many companies where they suddenly have to cancel their production schedule and business appointments,” she added.
Shahidan quipped that people who do not know how to appreciate football should understand that KL City FC’s victory is a significant one as it is the first time it has won the Malaysia Cup in over 30 years.
“It is very meaningful… and on top of that, we won in Kuala Lumpur.
“(This is our way to say) thank you because we are excited and to express our gratitude to Allah,” he said.
Greenlight given
The minister added that he had received the approval of the prime minister as well as the chief secretary to the government for the holiday before he made the announcement.
The holiday declaration for this Friday has been met with mixed reactions.
Infectious diseases expert Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman lamented that the holiday had affected the schedule of medical professional examinations, which had already been affected by Covid-19 and resultant lockdowns.
The banking sector also declared that it will stay open in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. - Mkini
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