Council of Churches says its churches to open only when MCO is lifted

PETALING JAYA: Churches that are members of the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) will remain closed until the movement control order (MCO) is fully lifted.

CCM general secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri said its churches would remain closed until it was deemed safe to re-open without risking public health.

“The heads of churches of our council have decided to continue to keep churches closed until the MCO is lifted, and there is assurance from the Health Ministry that Covid-19 no longer posed a threat to the general public.

“Whether the (date of reopening) will be June 10 will be reviewed judiciously when the time comes.

“We seek to prioritise the safety of our people as our paramount spiritual duty. The current situation is still very precarious and volatile, ” he said in a statement on Thursday (May 21).

He added that online streaming of Sunday services would continue, with devotees remaining at home to pray and worship.

"As we continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic together, we take this opportunity to salute the frontliners who are working tirelessly and selflessly in order to keep the rest of us safe," he said.

CCM is one of three constituent groups of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, along with the Catholic Church and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship.

Earlier, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said non-Muslim houses of worship in Covid-19 “green zones” would be allowed to reopen from June 10 onwards.

The Senior Minister said they would still have to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs), such as barring the elderly and children below 12 and allowing only a maximum of 30 people.