It looks like we’re gonna have a silent Thaipusam celebration next year, no thanks to a virus mutation that has left the world in chaos once again!
Taking into consideration the emergence of the new deadly virus Omicron in the country, national unity minister Halimah Sadique has stated that the famous week-long Thaipusam festivities will not take place next year.
“In light of the new Covid-19 variation, we cannot allow the chariot procession to take place and the decision was made jointly after the ministry met with various stakeholders earlier this month,” said Halimah.
The discussions involved a total of ten Hindu leaders from Penang, Kedah, Selangor, and Johor, as the festival is extensively celebrated in these states. Besides that, officers from the National Security Council (MKN) and the Ministry of Health also attended the meeting.
According to FMT, the revised SOPs will now be forwarded to various committees for evaluation purposes. Sivakumar Naidu, the (PH-Batu Gajah) also inquired if temples would be permitted to operate shops to boost their revenue, given the implications brought by the pandemic.
Thaipusam falls on 18th January next year, but devotees will make preparations as early as three months prior to the day to fulfil their vows to deity Lord Murugan.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Thaipusam celebration SOPs which will be decided on 15th December 2021!
