No Dec 31 govt gala, solidarity with Palestine, flood victims

 

The federal government has no plans to hold any New Year’s Eve celebration, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the decision is a sign of solidarity with Palestinians suffering from Israeli brutality and respect for those affected by floods in several states.

“However, at the state government and local authority levels, there may be celebration programmes suited to their local environments,” he said.

Fahmi was speaking to the media after officiating the annual general assembly of the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) in Shah Alam, Selangor, last night.

Earlier, it was reported that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) will hold spiritual programmes on the eve of the new year this Sunday (Dec 31) at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, as well as the Putra Mosque and Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque as an alternative for Muslims.

Meanwhile, on the status of 130 communication transmission stations affected by floods in Sabah, Kelantan, Pahang, Selangor, and Terengganu, the minister said that, to date, 53 stations have resumed operations while the rest are still being repaired.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil

“I hope, in a day or two, this number will decrease, and for the affected areas, we will assess whether they are recurring areas in terms of damage to telecommunications towers or new areas,” he said.

He said he would instruct the affected areas to undergo site hardening by raising communication equipment to higher levels to prevent recurring incidents.

- Bernama