PUTRAJAYA (Jan 18): Holding of the Thaipusam celebration at temples this year in states under the movement control order (MCO) and conditional MCO (CMCO) is not allowed.

The Ministry of National Unity (KPN) in a statement today said this decision was made in line with the announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Jan 11 on the implementation of the MCO and CMCO from Jan 13 to 26.

The MCO involves Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Sabah and the three federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan, followed by the CMCO in Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

On Jan 15, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the enforcement of the MCO in Sibu, Sarawak and in Kelantan, effective from Jan 16 to 29.

National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said in the same statement that the decision was made at the Minister of Defence Technical Committee Meeting No. 3, 2021, following discussions among KPN, Hindu religious heads, the National Security Council and Ministry of Health (MoH).

Halimah said her ministry was informed of the decisions of the state governments, except the Perlis government, for the Thaipusam celebration not be held at temples.

The technical committee also agreed that the Thaipusam celebration could be held in Perlis and Sarawak, which are states under the recovery MCO (RMCO) with the permission of the respective state governments and with tighter standard operating procedures (SOPs).

So far, only the Perlis government is allowing the holding of the Thaipusam celebration in the state.